Fernandes' response
It felt telling that the first player serenaded by the fans in the Stretford End after Manchester United had emerged from the tunnel was Bruno Fernandes. The attacking midfielder has come in for some fierce criticism since Sunday but he was defended by Erik ten Hag and Marcus Rashford in the week and this was evidence of the high regard he's held in by supporters.
His first major contribution to the game came with the early goal but it was a result of what was actually a poor piece of play. His attempted cross was badly under-hit but the block fell to Rashford, who did the rest brilliantly.
He did earn his assist for Antony's goal, although in truth it was a simple pass and the goal owed more to a brilliant finish from the Brazilian. Fernandes did do well to keep battling for the ball in midfield, however, keeping possession for his time before shovelling it wide.
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That involvement lifted his game to another level. He won a corner when firing a dangerous ball across the box and converted it when heading Luke Shaw's delivery in. He slid across the turf with his hands over his ears and was met with chants of 'Bruno, Bruno' when he took them away. His teammates piled on after his initial celebration and were keen to share the moment.
For all the external criticism this week, it's clear the 28-year-old retains the backing of his manager and his teammates and in the final quarter you could tell the reaction to Sunday had had no adverse reaction to him. His tackle on Claudio Bravo was a little bit reckless but he didn't take a backward step when suggesting the goalkeeper was making a meal of it and then got involved in a confrontation with German Pezzella.
Weghorst's moment
It would be an understatement to say Weghorst enjoyed his second goal for United. Having scored away from home, this was his second goal in 15 starts for the club and his first at Old Trafford. He was a picture of emotion as he slid to the corner of the Stretford End.
On the touchline Erik ten Hag raised both hands to the sky, his most animated reaction to any goal, and you sense that said as much about the goalscorer as it did the fact that this tie is now over.
Nobody expected Weghorst to be making 15 successive starts when he arrived on loan from Burnley, but the absence of Antony Martial has contributed to that situation. The lack of goals has been an issue but the approach play has often been good.
He linked play well against Real Betis but did miss chances before finally slamming home the fourth goal. He had one disallowed for offside in the first half, slid an effort wide when he should have done better and then scuffed a good chance in the second half.
He'd certainly worked hard for his goal and the reaction of his teammates and Ten Hag showed how valuable his contribution can be.
Rashford's finishing
Rashford raised his first-half missed chance at Anfield when speaking to the media on Wednesday and it was a forgotten moment in the game. He was picked out brilliantly by Luke Shaw's pass but his finish lacked conviction. He tried to take it first time when that option was never really on and wasn't required.
But the days when his finishing was regularly inconsistent do feel like they are a thing of the past now. His own confidence certainly didn't appear to be bruised by the Anfield experience.
The first chance that fell his way against Betis was ruthlessly converted. He showed composure to sidestep the fallen Luiz Felipe and lash in an unstoppable finish. That was goal number 26 of the season for Rashford and only Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland have more in Europe this season. That's some company to be keeping but it is entirely deserved.
De Gea's distribution
The idea that distribution might be a weak point in David de Gea's game is nothing new, but it felt like it reached a new nadir on Thursday. This must have been his worst performance of the season with his feet, including the disastrous defeat at Brentford.
He started poorly with a pass into midfield that was intercepted and then sprayed a pass out to the right that went straight out of play. It was so wayward it was hard to tell who he was actually aiming for. The next one was directed towards Diogo Dalot but fell well short and handed possession to Juanmi 40 yards from goal.
The worst of the lot came just before half-time. De Gea managed to dissect the two United players waiting for a short pass and instead found the feet of Juanmi, who had the simple task of playing in Ayoze Perez. His deflected shot hit the post and De Gea breathed a considerable sigh of relief.
Half-time changes
Ten Hag has now turned to his bench at half-time on 19 occasions this season and in five of the last six games. The one he didn't make a change at the interval was the one United lost 7-0, although it clearly wasn't crying out for a change at Anfield.
The alteration against Real Betis was the same as the change he made at this stage of the Carabao Cup final, replacing Diogo Dalot with Aaron Wan-Bissaka. That day it was Wan-Bissaka's defensive quality that helped to tame Allan Saint-Maximin, but against Betis he helped drive United up the pitch with his aggressive running.
He is pushing Dalot hard for a start at right-back and this was another lacklustre performance from the first-choice in that position, who must be beginning to feel the pressure. He is yet to reach the levels he was setting before the World Cup.
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