Louis van Gaal heaps praise on David de Gea after Liverpool shutout

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has praised goalkeeper David de Gea for his performance in their 3-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday.

Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Robin van Persie scored at Old Trafford, but the Spanish goalkeeper helped the Red Devils to a clean sheet with a series of smart saves.

Van Gaal told Sky Sports News after the game: "I think we have scored wonderful goals. We also kept the shape very good. In spite of the goals we gave a lot of chances away. That was every time we gave unnecessary passes away and that is how we have to improve.

"You can always say that some players are the most influential in a game and of course David De Gea has a big influence. He did very well."

United climb to third in the table following their sixth Premier League victory in a row.