Fabinho helped Liverpool crush Manchester United’s defensive block

Fabinho was the catalyst for Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Manchester United thanks to his forward-thinking instincts and impressive range of passes.

Liverpool beat Manchester United in the Premier League for the first time since 2014 because Fabinho wrecked the Red Devils’ familiar tactic.

Fabinho crushed United’s defensive block during his best performance in a Liverpool shirt on Sunday. He was given the freedom to get forward and pick passes by a United side content to defend deep and deny Liverpool’s front four space.

Fabinho took the freedom and ran with it. He ran forward regularly and used his freedom to loft the passes over the Red Devils’ numbers at the back and inspire a 3-1 win.

United had held Jurgen Klopp’s usually free-scoring Liverpool to 0-0 draws in each of their last two visits to Anfield. The games were turgid but exactly what Jose Mourinho wanted as he set his team up to form a rigid defensive block.

It was a structure loaded with numbers as nine men stayed deep out of possession. The tactic denied Liverpool space between the lines to thread passes.

Sitting deep also negated the pace of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. Liverpool’s swift and fluid front three found themselves outnumbered by United’s static line of defenders.

Things changed on Sunday, though, because Fabinho got forward and gave the hosts a free man in the final third.

Usually a team doesn’t mind giving a defensive midfielder time and space on the ball. It would have worked again for United had Jordan Henderson been at the base of midfield.

Instead, Fabinho’s superior technique and vision made United pay for sitting off him.

Fabinho’s finest pass of a display littered with quality distribution was the 24th-minute assist for Sadio Mane. It was a brilliantly angled chip with enough pace on it to leave United goalkeeper David De Gea rooted to his line and delicate enough for Mane to control with his back to goal and set himself to finish.

The assist was the most memorable moment of a pass-heavy clinic:

Squawka Football’s description of Fabinho as “Liverpool’s chief orchestrator” was both apt and ironic. It was a role the Brazil international fitted like a glove but not one he was acquired from Monaco for £43.7 million to perform.

Fabinho is supposed to be the aggressive destroyer who sets the stage for others to create. Specifically, his dirty work is the complement to Naby Keita’s skill and Firmino’s artistry.

The narrative changed against United, though, as Fabinho became the hub of possession. His measured and neat use of the ball kept the visitors chasing shadows.

Fabinho’s control also provided a calming counterpoint to the buccaneering runs of Keita, Mane and Salah. They were content to buzz around Firmino, confident in the knowledge Fabinho would keep the supply lines open.

A closer look at how Fabinho varied his passes shows how he influenced the flow of play from multiple areas of the pitch:

If this was a defensive midfield performance set to join Liverpool folklore, it was more Xabi Alonso than Javier Mascherano.

Although he did dictate from deep, as well as from the box seat in the middle, Fabinho did the most damage when he broke further forward than usual.

United had enough to deal with tracking the runs from out to in of Salah and Mane. Firmino dropping off the front also challenged center-backs to keep their discipline and dragged holding midfielder Nemanja Matic into uncomfortable areas.

Keita’s penchant for dribbling the ball past markers also stretched United out of shape. He often peeled wide to fill the spaces created whenever Mane moved centrally.

It meant Ander Herrera was often tasked with doubling up on Keita when defenders couldn’t deal with his tricks.

Liverpool pushing four players onto United’s back line and holders widened the pockets of space between defense and midfield. Those areas became Fabinho’s own private kingdom.

He was holding court in the dangerous gray area when he assisted Mane. Another classy chip from the same position nearly put Salah in during the second half.

The positive implications of Fabinho’s performance on Sunday can justify the fee the Reds spent to bring him over from Monaco.

His quality in possession from the holding midfield role will be vital for a team designed to push opponents back with high pressing. Swarming around Liverpool’s pressers in defensive areas has often proved the way to frustrate the league leaders.

Yet Fabinho’s passing range and willingness to exploit the freedom he was given rendered United’s rearguard tactic useless. They also gave Liverpool a blueprint for beating similarly defensive opponents.

Having a holding player who offers more going forward could prove the difference in the title race.