Man Utd midfielder Juan Mata made a telling impact from the bench vs Crystal Palace and deserves to start vs Liverpool
Decisions, decisions.
It would be a surprise if Jose Mourinho reverted back to 4-2-3-1 against Liverpool after starting with a 4-3-3 formation in the last four games. Four games, incidentally, United have claimed results in.
You would expect that Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku will all start so the main calls will be whether Scott McTominay continues as the third central midfielder and who plays on the right wing. Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard or Juan Mata?
Mata changed the game when he came on alongside Luke Shaw midway through the second-half against Crystal Palace on Monday night and while he did not have a direct hand in United's equaliser or winner, he helped a remarkable set-up click.
Despite Paul Pogba, Lingard, Rashford, Sanchez and Lukaku all being on the field at once, it somehow worked and Mata played a crucial role in knitting it all together.
Mata was tasked simply with making the team play and while that sounds simple, in theory, imagine coming on in a hostile ground like Selhurst Park and turning it around?
The Spaniard floated inside and found space in those little pockets in trademark style, which really hurt Palace, while Rashford dragged right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka wide on the opposite flank.
A start against Liverpool would be just reward for Mata, who has fond memories of this fixture, but Mourinho will have to go against his usual selection policy to squeeze him in.
The United boss tends to go with pace on the flanks in these games and you have to go back to May 17 last year for the last time Mata started a game against Liverpool, City, Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham.
Mata has been an unused substitute in four games against title rivals this season and only came on for nine minutes in the Manchester derby when his side were chasing a goal.
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