Video: Suso v. Manchester United

The result may have been disappointing, and the injuries suffered along the way to Sunday's loss could end up doing more damage to Liverpool's hopes this season than simply missing out on three points will, but not everything was doom and gloom and incompetent officials when Manchester United came to town. In midfield, Joe Allen was strong once again, this week alongside a surprisingly disciplined and effective Steven Gerrard. At the back, Glen Johnson once again made an argument for being the best fullback in the Premier League right now. And at the front, following Fabio Borini's removal at the half with a swollen ankle, 18-year-old Suso made a stellar Premier League debut.

Less than a minute after coming on, Suso was integral in the buildup to Steven Gerrard's goal as ten-man Liverpool overcame their numerical disadvantage to take the lead, the left-footer beating Paul Scholes and lofting in a cross that was only partially cleared and eventually found its way to the Liverpool captain and then the back of the net. It sent an early signal that the young attacking midfielder wasn't at all intimidated by the situation he had been unexpectedly thrust into, and though he looked best when playing from wider areas, there was nowhere on the pitch that he didn't at least look good in when Liverpool had the ball.

For all that good, though, it would be difficult to avoid mentioning that it was his pass to an under pressure Daniel Agger that preceded United's penalty and second goal, yet it's clear from replays that Agger had two men open to pass to in his field of vision and that it was an unfortunate choice to try to flick the ball into space that kicked off the unfortunate series of events that followed rather than the pass from Suso. It may not have been a great way to cap the day for Suso—and it certainly wasn't for the fans—but it's hard to blame him for what seems a clear error of judgement by one of his more veteran teammates.

In any case, following an impressive performance against BSC Young Boys in the Europa League on Thursday, and with a generally strong half of football against United on Sunday—something that came after he started the day on the bench ahead of more experienced options like Stewart Downing—one now has to imagine that regular minutes are in the young Spaniard's future. While a sudden string of league starts might be a stretch, from here on out Suso seems all but a lock to play in the various cup competitions Liverpool is involved in—starting on Wednesday with a trip to the Hawthornes to face West Brom in the League Cup.