100% ground duels, 100% aerial duels, 3 clearances: United star’s colossal display vs. Liverpool hands Carrick selection dilemma

Manchester United defender Ayden Heaven delivered a colossal defensive performance to help his side to a 3-2 victory over bitter rivals Liverpool. United beat Liverpool Kobbie Mainoo bagged a brilliant winner for United to fire the club back into the Champions League after they came close to relinquishing a commanding two-goal lead. United took the lead inside six minutes through the returning Matheus Cunha, who drove a strike past Freddie Woodman from the edge of the area. Benjamin Sesko doubled United’s advantage a few moments later after Woodman diverted a Bruno Fernandes header onto his thigh, who was all too happy to bundle it home from close range. Michael Carrick’s men looked like they were headed for a comfortable victory until nine minutes after the break, when substitute Amad recklessly turned over possession to Dominik Szoboszlai. The Hungarian midfielder raced up the pitch and struck a low strike into the bottom corner of United’s goal. Things worsened for United after Senne Lammens casually passed the ball to a Liverpool player in an attempt to play out from the back. Cody Gakpo gleefully punished the mistake to make it 2-2. But Mainoo had the last laugh, thundering a superb strike to win it for United, who have now completed the double over Liverpool for the first time this decade. Heaven was one of the standout players for United in the triumph. Heaven’s heroics Since stepping in against Chelsea, Heaven has been flawless, and he continued that form against Liverpool. The England international won one of the three tackles he made. He also contributed three clearances and four recoveries. Heaven was a beast in his duels, emerging victorious in all five ground duels he contested as well as the one aerial challenge he faced. He drew two fouls and completed six carries. The 19-year-old successfully found a United teammate with 34 of the 39 passes he attempted (87% pass accuracy). Six of these were delivered into the final third. StatisticValue Tackles (won)3 (1) Interceptions0 Clearances3 Recoveries4 Ground duels (won)5 (5) Aerial duels (won)1 (1) Dribbled past0 Touches50 Dribbles (successful)0 (0) Was fouled2 Possession lost6 Total carrying distance37 m Carries6 Total progression21.1 m Accurate passes34/39 (87%) Passes in opposition half (acc.)6/9 (67%) Passes in own half (acc.)28/30 (93%) Long balls (accurate)2/4 (50%) (Stats obtained from Sofascore) With Lisandro Martinez set to be available for the Sunderland clash, it will be fascinating to see if Carrick keeps faith in Heaven. The teenager has certainly made himself very difficult to drop. The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Latest Top Stories… Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!