Photo: Independent.com
Come Liverpool, Manchester United have always shown who the true champions of English football are. And there has been no exception this time as well.
The biggest derby of English football- Manchester United versus Liverpool at Anfield. What a match. It had everything in it. A pinpoint pass. Couple of excellent finishes. A red card, which could have easily been turned into two. A missed penalty. What more one could have asked for on a Sunday afternoon! And at the end of all a victory for the Red Devils. Simply unbelievable.
The match started with two teams aspiring to take a firm hold on the fourth spot in the league table. Manchester United were two points ahead of Liverpool at fourth. A win for Liverpool would have given them a huge boost. And a win for United would see them coming in close quarters with the second placed Manchester City. The match started in such scenario.
Photo: Thisisanfield
Manchester United just needed such a platform to show that they are back in where they have belonged over the decades. And they chose the right one- Anfield. United started the match in great fashion, earning corners in the early minutes. And then came the first big moment in the match. The clock had ticked the 14th minute mark and Juan Mata put United in front after an excellent through pass from Ander Herrera. Manchester United then played out the first with utter dominance, simply outplaying their arch rival Liverpool. There was one opportunity for Adam Lallana towards the end of the first half but he squandered that golden opportunity.
As play began Liverpool brought in their most experienced man, Steven Gerrard. The stage was set for Gerrard to make his presence felt for one final time as he will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. Yes he did make his presence felt but it did no harm to United. He was on the field for just 45 seconds as he was shown the red card for stamping on Manchester United’s Ander Herrera after the latter had made a lunging tackle on him. Liverpool were completely down and out, particularly after what Steven Gerrard’s act of sheer madness. United seized the opportunity and sent numbers forward. It paid off for United as Juan Mata pulled off an absolute stunner in the 59th minute as he scored with a flying kick. But it was not over yet. Liverpool scored within 10 minutes through Daniel Sturridge as David De Gea failed surprisingly to cover his near post. United could sense the danger. But it was United’s day and nothing could have gone wrong. Liverpool played better with 10 men after Mario Balotelli came in but United stood tall against the 10-men Liverpool side.
Photo: Thisisanfield
Just when it seemed that nothing more was going to happen, Manchester United got a penalty. In the 93rd minute. Wayne Rooney stepped up. But to the shock of the travelling fans Mignolet made an excellent save. The score remained 2-1. Questions might be raised whether Rooney should have given Mata the opportunity to complete his hat-trick, but very little can be argued with that decision for Rooney equally deserved a goal. But a Manchester United-Liverpool derby can never end without a controversial incident. And it was proved once again. Martin Skrtel and David De Gea were in the thick of the action. Skrtel was going for a ball which De Gea had under control. But the United players including De Gea claimed that Skrtel had stamped on De Gea’s foot after De Gea had grabbed the ball. The replays also showed the same thing and Liverpool should consider them lucky to return to the dressing room with 10 men for it could have easily been another red card. The referee did not notice it but the FA might not and it could turn out to be even worse for Liverpool in the upcoming days.
However the scenes are completely different in the United camp as they now enjoy back-to-back wins against two top half teams. Tottenham Hotspur was the first victim and Liverpool became the latest. And the great thing about these wins was the way the wins were achieved. It was vintage United as the players showed the vigour to bulldoze the opponent on the field. It’s the Manchester United we have seen over the years. It’s the Manchester United we have loved. It’s the Manchester United we would love to see again.
Tags: David De Gea EPL Juan Mata liverpool Manchester United Steven Gerrard
