EAGLE-EYED fans spotted Andre Onana smothering his gloves in Vaseline – but there is a clever reason behind the bizarre move.
The rain poured at Old Trafford as Manchester United took on Liverpool.
And not long into the clash, the cameras picked up Onana standing on his line with a pot of Vaseline in hand.
Fans were left baffled, with one saying: “No wonder Onana can’t catch the ball when he’s putting Vaseline on his gloves.”
Another questioned: “How does lubing your grip up help you catch the ball?”
But it turns out it could actually improve grip as Vaseline can supposedly help soak up water.
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Therefore, some believe inside the goalkeepers union that putting it on your gloves helps grip the ball in rainy conditions.
Ex-Premier League stopper Shay Given has revealed he used the Vaseline trick during his playing days.
Onana had plenty of work to do in the first-half as Liverpool were constantly on the attack.
They had 15 shots in the opening 45 minutes compared to Man Utd’s zero.
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The Vaseline theory
Vaseline supposedly helps goalkeepers grip the ball in rainy weather.
The product, usually used for lips, can be smothered on the palms of keeper gloves in the hope it will result in improved “holding power”.
Shay Given and Ben Foster have confirmed it is a commonly used trick by No1s.
Luis Diaz opened the scoring with an acrobatic finish from a corner after being given “the entirety of Manchester” in space.
But Bruno Fernandes levelled after the break, catching Caoimhin Kelleher off his line from distance.
And then an incredible Kobbie Mainoo curler put Erik ten Hag’s side ahead.
Onana’s use of Vaseline made no difference as Mo Salah sent him the wrong way from the penalty spot to set up a frantic finish from 2-2 with ten minutes remaining.
But the points were shared and Arsenal are now top of the table on goal difference.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
