I watched the game on a fairly ropey stream whilst baby-sitting on Sunday, and as always with defeats upon reflection and re-watch I have had an opportunity to re-evaluate.
The only spell in the game where they really turned the screw and we were hanging on was in the ten minutes before half time, in the blizzard.
Up until the goal, we were fully in the game. The goal itself is perhaps noted for Masuaku, but it's well worth watching the few seconds beforehand. We seemingly have at least seven players goal-side against three or four as Sterling lays the ball back to Rodri (? - laporte? Cancelo?)) - within a second or two they have five bearing down on our back 4 and goal-side of all our midfield. Not only is Mahrez in space, But Sterling has sprinted off the back of Fornals, and he and Gundogan are both on Johnson, who is caught momentarily wrong side of both of them, Soucek having pointed to him to pick Sterling up.
The team had shuffled to the right and the quick switch plus the far post overload undoes us.
The second goal is a turnover deep in our half, before Lanzini's strike.
In terms of attacking play though, they were of course as cynical as usual with their fouls but we had some malfunctioning going on.
Cresswell's delivery from set plays was uncharacteristically poor. Benrahma was presented with at least half a dozen good opportunities to conjure something, and failed to deliver. Rice burst forward impressively at times, but his technique and ball control let him down on a number of occasions. We were also obviously intent on a very quick counter, forcing the ball forward as quickly as possible on numerous occasions, especially in the first 30, with poor execution killing promising opportunities.
I think Moyes will reach the same conclusion that he reached last season - the player in the #10 role has to produce quality more consistently.