The one solace Manchester United can take this season, despite their own woes, is that Liverpool are somehow managing to “outshine” them, with the United factor strong in their latest loss.
With every passing game, Man Utd’s 2-1 win at Anfield somehow looks underwhelming, because opposing teams are rocking up at Anfield and regularly hammering Liverpool now.
The latest might just be the worst one yet, as Arne Slot’s men lost 1-4 to PSV in the Champions League, having lost 0-3 to Forest previously, where Elliot Anderson shone.
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Just like that game, there is a serious United connection in Liverpool’s latest embarrassment, with an ex-Man Utd star sold twice by Erik ten Hag, including once at Old Trafford, becoming the architect of their downfall.
Liverpool FC v PSV Eindhoven - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD5
Photo by Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Matej Kovar repels Liverpool for PSV
Matej Kovar effectively came through the ranks at Carrington, signing from Slovacko as a teenager, but didn’t get a chance to establish himself at Old Trafford.
Kovar was sold by Man Utd under Erik ten Hag in the summer of 2023 after spending a successful year on loan at Sparta Prague.
Their paths crossed again in Germany, when Ten Hag became the Leverkusen manager for an ill-fated spell lasting less than four months.
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Even in those four months, Ten Hag sold Kovar again, this time sending him on loan to PSV with a conditional obligation.
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Liverpool somehow ended up being on the wrong side of that transaction, as Kovar played like a man possessed in PSV’s 4-1 win at Anfield.
Kovar made eight saves, adding ten recoveries and seven throws to a game that saw him get involved aplenty, as he touched the ball 53 times.
An average goalkeeper would have conceded at least two goals considering the shots he faced, but he kept Liverpool down to a single goal.
The rest was taken care of by PSV’s extremely clinical attackers, as Kovar had a statement game in the Champions League against United’s greatest rivals.
Man Utd’s youngsters are shining everywhere except at United
Kovar’s performance at Liverpool brings into stark focus the pain point for many Man Utd fans, which is that United’s academy products are shining for everyone except United.
United recently lost 0-1 to Everton in a game where Michael Keane was a rock at the back, and James Garner assisted the winner.
Numerous other players, like Scott McTominay, Angel Gomes, or Dean Henderson, are shining for their respective clubs after not being given a chance at United.
That goes against the ethos of the club, and for all the talk by Ruben Amorim, this doesn’t seem like changing any time soon.
Seeing Kovar shine against Liverpool is sweet, but, like many others, he could have been doing it in a United shirt, which makes it bittersweet.
After all, how much worse could he have been compared to Altay Bayindir or even Andre Onana at Man Utd?