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3 takeaways from Manchester United's snatched triumph at Liverpool

Carl Recine / Reuters

Wayne Rooney grabbed the only goal in a tight victory for Manchester United over its great rival Liverpool on Sunday.

Marouane Fellaini's header cannoned back off the crossbar on 78 minutes but fell right to the feet of the Scouser, who ripped it home in front of the travelling support.

Although not exactly bursting with quality, it was an entertaining tie on Merseyside, and United's 1-0 win should buy some more time for embattled gaffer Louis van Gaal.

Here are the three main takeaways from Manchester United's narrow win at Liverpool:

Liverpool should sign a striker this January

Christian Benteke simply doesn't fit in to Jurgen Klopp's game plan right now, and with Divock Origi, Danny Ings, and Daniel Sturridge all sidelined there is no out-and-out striker available for Liverpool.

Roberto Firmino was again chosen to lead the line, and Adam Lallana's legs behind him offered some hard-to-detect fluidity to the Reds' attacks in the first stanza. The balls over the top in particular were causing issues for the United back four.

But with Firmino not a true striker - as his 7 goals over 33 starts for Hoffenheim last season, and his inability to get a genuine shot on target on Sunday demonstrates - Klopp could do with a forward who can be relied upon to hit the back of the net at a greater rate.

Firmino's inability to convert an equaliser on 89 minutes when a disinclined Daley Blind played him onside typified Liverpool's struggles in front of goal.

Southampton paying just £4 million for Charlie Austin is a missed opportunity for Liverpool, but rumours have begun to circulate about a £25-million offer for Leicester City's record-breaker Jamie Vardy.

That number may seem bit pricey for the former non-league player, but it is not outlandish to suggest that Vardy's incredible work rate has caught Klopp's eye, and that he would fit nicely into the German's system.

To see a list of completed deals in the January window thus far, visit theScore's Premier League transfer tracker.

Rivalry rumbles on

That Fellaini and Lucas Leiva - a man more accustomed to the tiny rivalry of Sete de Setembro and Ubiratan 10,000 miles away in Brazil - can get tetchy in the early stages of the match highlights the poor relations that still exist between the two sides. They were both swept away in the noise, nerves, and heated atmosphere on Merseyside that thickened the air well before kickoff.

Only the Liverpool-born Rooney and the ineffectual Jesse Lingard, who hails from Warrington - which sits between the cities - made up the local representation among the 22 players who began the game.

The quality of play is certainly questionable - far removed from the fabulous occasions between this pair in the past - but this is a rivalry that will endure. The fact that injured trio Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, and Michael Carrick stood among the away support on Sunday shows the respect the players have for this bi-annual spat.

Defence or attack for United, not both

For Louis Van Gaal, it's either dull and unambitious football or an irresponsible attacking game.

United went all-out at Newcastle United in midweek, putting together some fine passages of play with Rooney taking a starring role for one of the few times this season. The resulting 3-3 draw was entertaining, and the scoreline was appreciated by the Red Devils' travelling support much more than a scoreless draw.

Rooney's 78th-minute wallop at Liverpool was the first shot on target United had mustered all match, as the chief aim for the away side was to contain Liverpool's nuisance of an attack. It also meant that each of the Red Devils' four shots on target against Liverpool this term had resulted in a goal.

The result was three valuable points for the visitors, when it looked as though the team's ambitions were for just one.

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