So I watched the second half and these are my takeaways for those that didn't see the game.
Henderson - personally i'm of the opinion that he is better than De Gea. He provides everything De Gea does and more. I watched him a ton last season since I had him in my Fantasy Football team and he was the difference for Sheffield United's defence. He has the rare ability to do nothing all game, then pull out a world class save (Much like Edwin). Why is this rare? It takes a special kind of keeper to maintain focus when they aren't being tested constantly. However, he can also withstand a barrage of shots. His shot stopping is equal to De Gea at his peak but what I really like about him is that he's a commanding presence and he's good in the air. De Gea for all his shot stopping ability (which has regressed in recent years) is not a commanding keeper, for me at least. When I watch United games he instills a sense of nervousness in me, Henderson exudes confidence and I don't as yet see a flaw in his game.
Bailly - i've always thought that he was our most naturally gifted defender, not only in terms of technical ability but I think he's the best tackler on the team aside from AWB. More importantly, he provides a balance which we've been missing since Rio. That balance is party his aggression and playstyle but also his pace. It means, that any errors (not that he makes many) he does make he can use his pace as a get out of jail card. We simply will be a better defensive outfit partnering him alongside Maguire. He's pretty much everything which Lindelof is missing. He's a ball playing centre back with aggression and pace.
Mata - looked very, very fit. This was the Juan Mata that we used to see for Chelsea winning player of the year awards. I've not been his biggest fan in recent years. I think he's too easily bullied and for all his technical ability he gives the ball away too much. However, last night he was the best player on the pitch. Put him with players who can perform intricate passing movements and he really shines. Against packed defenses I think he would be a revelation playing with a second attacking midfielder behind a lone striker. VDB and Mata behind Martial would score a ton of tap ins.
VDB - he simply needs to be one of the first names on the team sheet. His passing is on another level (the same level as Mata's) and his movement and vision between the lines is exactly what we need. However, he needs to be playing with others who are at the same level. One of the reasons we looked good going forward at times was because Mata and VDB are both capable of performing intricate passing moves. Personally i'd like to see him and Pogba/Bruno both playing behind two strikers. Something like a 4-2-2-2. Regardless he needs to be starting.
Igahlo - I can see now why he doesn't get much game time. Looks really unfit and off the pace. Looks to have regressed since we extended his loan which is a shame.
Dalot - he's probably one of the better crosses in our squad. However, he can't play right back. His positioning is pretty bad and he doesn't have the qualities needed to recover when out of position. He's very very weak and the brighton left side bullied him physically with ease. The only way to get the most out of him is to play him as a right sided attacker (where I believe he used to play when even younger) or in a quarter back role (aka trent) but you'd need a midfielder to cover for his defensive liabilities. Could be used as an attacking option when teams park the bus from right back, but he's certainly a defensive liability.