Dundee United travelled to Hearts on Saturday in what was supposed to be a cagey affair between two of Scottish football’s meanest defences.
Both United and Hearts have, rightly, received praise for their outstanding defending this term.
Keepers Benjamin Siegrist and Craig Gordon have topped the save percentage charts but Saturday’s clash turned into an end-to-end thriller.
United crashed to a 5-2 defeat in a game that could easily have had DOUBLE that amount of goals.
They also lost Charlie Mulgrew to injury as they crashed to their second defeat in a row.
Courier Sport was there to watch the Tynecastle thriller unfold and here is what we learned:
Charlie Mulgrew and Dylan Levitt are almost irreplaceable for Dundee United
One of the key facets of Dundee United’s successful start to the season has been the quality of their signings.
Almost each of their seven summer arrivals have added quality to Tannadice.
But dynamic duo Charlie Mulgrew and Dylan Levitt have made the biggest impact.
Mulgrew’s assured displays from the heart of defence have been a calming influence on the team.
Dylan Levitt vs. Livingston pic.twitter.com/hkWRjRU4n7
— ً (@ClipsMu) October 28, 2021
And Levitt’s incredible array of passing skills have helped United set the tempo in games.
Levitt was sorely missed by United on Saturday after he was forced to pull out due to a training ground injury.
But the sight of Mulgrew on the sidelines at half-time was an even bigger blow to United as rampant Hearts added to their 2-1 lead to clinch a 5-2 success.
Dundee United should reset and refocus after Hearts defeat
It seems almost ridiculous after a 5-2 defeat to be positive but that’s exactly how United should feel right now.
They remain in fourth place going into the international break and have produced some outstanding performances this year.
Saturday wasn’t one of those days.
Hearts produced a five-star display to thrash Dundee United 5-2 and go second in the Scottish Premiership! 💥
Check out the best of the action! 👇 pic.twitter.com/H6Vgvgp2kv
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) November 6, 2021
Hearts imposed their slick attacking play on United and the visitors found it difficult to keep the Edinburgh side out.
But even at 3-1 United didn’t seem totally out of the game.
They twice hauled themselves back into the game with quickfire goals but ran out of steam in the end.
The international break is a time to reset and refocus. It’s not time to panic and United can bounce back.
Benji Siegrist is still a top class keeper
Siegrist has had better afternoons.
On a day where there were a staggering 35 chances at either end, Siegrist still made SEVEN key saves.
Craig Gordon made save of the match as he denied Nicky Clark with a Gordon Banks-esque stop.
But while it will be an afternoon Siegrist will want to forget, Hearts were clinical with their finishing and the Swiss stopper won’t have many days like this.
