One of the many differences between Manchester United's performance against Liverpool and those that had preceded it was the fact the first half was better than the second.
Over the last few weeks, United have made a habit of starting games slowly and relying on an in-game tactical switch to find their feet. At Anfield on Sunday afternoon it was a complete contrast, with their second-half capitulation, which saw them ship six goals without reply, being something that nobody could have possibly predicted during the interval.
Despite trailing at the break through former transfer target Cody Gakpo's opener, United had enjoyed the better of the chances in the first half and were well in the game. However, any hopes of a comeback were dented when Darwin Nunez doubled the home side's lead within just two minutes of the restart.
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From that moment on, United were in trouble. They had lost their heads and Liverpool were toying with them, racking up the goals at such a speed that reporters, as soon as they had finished describing one goal, were describing another.
United's second-half performance highlighted the fact that, as Jamie Carragher correctly pinpointed during his analysis on Monday Night Football, when Casemiro doesn't play, neither do United. Unlike against Arsenal, Brentford and Manchester City (he stepped off the bench late on in the latter), however, Casemiro was on the pitch on Sunday, but you would have struggled to notice. He picked the worst possible afternoon to have his worst performance in a United shirt so far.
The Brazilian has been widely considered as United's most important player this season, almost single-handedly transforming their fortunes with a plethora of classy and polished performances in central midfield. United desperately missed his defensive guile, leadership and composure on the ball during his three-match suspension last month.
In all of the three matches he was absent for, United, despite earning seven points from a possible nine, failed to put together a complete performance. They found themselves 2-0 down at home to Leeds United before staging a comeback. They were slow and uninspiring for the best part of an hour against the same opponent four days later, only wrestling back control when Lisandro Martinez had stepped off the bench. They also rode their luck in the first half of the 3-0 win over Leicester City, giving up possession too easily, allowing Leicester several chances, and lacking the control Erik ten Hag so often demands, despite taking a 1-0 lead into the break.
Though the nature of Sunday's defeat highlighted their weaknesses more than ever, United have lacked the control in games that Ten Hag is always looking for on several occasions in recent weeks. Of course, you have to consider that the Reds remain better suited to playing on the counter-attack, but there have been too many instances where they have looked rumbled and struggled to find their feet.
It all stems from Christian Eriksen's absence. The Dane has been sidelined since January with an ankle problem and is not expected to be fit - at the earliest - until the end of April.
The 31-year-old, despite being renowned as a seasoned attacking-midfielder, slotted into a deeper role with ease during the first half of the campaign, working hand-in-hand with Casemiro to form a perfectly balanced midfield pairing. Operating as conductor-in-chief, the Dane was at the heart of much of the Reds' good fortune, instigating attacks and operating as the shuttle between the defensive line and the forwards.
He oozed class on the ball and his ability to dictate and control games has been sorely missed in recent weeks. The three aforementioned Premier League games that Casemiro was absent for, as well as last week's FA Cup win over West Ham United, are just some of the examples where his skillset would have been useful, enabling United to wrestle back control a lot easier.
Though Marcel Sabitzer and Fred have offered glimpses of their capabilities in Eriksen's absence, the Dane is a cut above in possession. He was the glue in United's midfield in the first half of the season and the last few weeks have exposed how crucial he is in making this team tick in the way that Ten Hag wants.
Crucially, Eriksen's period of absence so far has supported Ten Hag's plan to add another midfielder to his ranks this forthcoming summer. He does not have a suitable back-up option who can be relied upon to give United the control they need.
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