MANCHESTER United suffered another nightmare against Liverpool with Fernando Torres and David Ngog scoring and Nemanja Vidic being sent for the third successive time against Rafael Benitez's men.
Spain star Torres held off Rio Ferdinand to strike a fierce shot past Edwin van der Sar on 65 minutes.
Antonio Valencia came closest to levelling when he cracked an angled drive against the bar, but the Reds plight worsened when Vidic was sent off for a second yellow card.
Moments earlier referee Andre Marriner only gave Jamie Carragher a yellow card when he felled Michael Owen when the substitute striker was arguably through on goal. Javier Mascherano was sent off for Liverpool late on for a second yellow before Ngog scored to seal the win.
As expected, Steven Gerrard missed the match with a groin problem, but Wayne Rooney recovered from a calf injury to play for the champions.
Liverpool had Torres and Glen Johnson back after both missed the Champions League defeat to Lyon on Tuesday, while United also had Ryan Giggs, Patrice Evra and Michael Carrick back in their starting line-up. Michael Owen, facing his former club, started on the bench and on his introduction received a punishing reception from the fans who once worshipped him.
United’s supporters made the most of Liverpool’s recent misfortune. Beach balls, Eric Cantona masks and insulting banners were smuggled into the away section.
The banner that hurt most, no doubt, was “You told us to come back when we’d won 18 titles...well, we’re back”.
When the action started Evra was booked after two trips on Torres in as many minutes, and from the free-kick Fabio Aurelio sent in a curled effort that Edwin van der Sar clawed away. It went straight to Dirk Kuyt, whose follow-up was also saved by his Dutch countryman.
Then Lucas robbed Paul Scholes and gave Kuyt another chance, this one guided wide of the far post.
Rooney effort
Rooney, who had seen one effort disallowed for offside, rose to met an Antonio Valencia cross, but his header was held low to his right by Jose Reina.
United had better possession and hit Liverpool with pace and slick movement, but Van der Sar was again needed to plunge to his right to keep out an Aurelio header from Yossi Benayoun’s cross.
Kuyt should have scored early in the second period when he was played in by Johnson, but he chose to pass rather than blast an angled effort, and the chance was lost.
Then Benayoun’s touch sent Torres away on the right, but his lack of genuine pace following his groin problem did not see him shake off Rio Ferdinand, and again the opening went begging.
It then needed a block from Johnson on the far post to keep out Rooney’s header from Giggs’ free-kick.
But Liverpool were growing in confidence and they grabbed the lead after 65 minutes. Benayoun’s pass sent Torres beyond Ferdinand, onside only by inches.
The Spaniard was not going to be denied this time. He held off the England centre-back and lashed a shot into the roof of the net.
Mascherano was booked for a foul on Evra before Anfield had its first sight of Owen in a United shirt as he came on for Berbatov and Nani replaced Scholes after 74 minutes.
Owen’s arrival was greeted with jeers and chants of “Where were you in Istanbul?” as well as “Once a Manc, never a Red”.
Vidic was booked for a foul on Torres, and then after 80 minutes Torres could run no more and Ngog took his place.
Valencia saw a cross-shot clip the Liverpool bar and Owen was searching for any inch of space. He almost had a chance when he chased a through-ball, only to be hauled down by his good friend Carragher. The Liverpool skipper was booked.
With just a minute of normal time left, Vidic pulled down Kuyt as the Dutchman raced into an empty half. Red followed a second yellow, and the Serbian was sent off for the third successive game against Liverpool.
Three minutes into added time Mascherano was also sent off for a challenge on Van der Sar, the Argentinian’s second yellow-card offence.
Then came the killer blow to United. Liverpool broke from deep defence, Lucas delayed his pass to sent Ngog away on his own and the striker slid the second past Van der Sar.
What is your verdict on the action? Have your say.
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
@lphaDog (25/10/2009 at 16:00)
skh,pj, Malaysia (25/10/2009 at 16:04)
Giggs,Scholes and O'Shea.What is more you took out the most creative player Berbatov
when the going got tough.And another thing.Rooney will not live up to the expectations
we all had some time ago.He is not fit to lace Torres' boots.
PS Chang (25/10/2009 at 16:05)
Utterly frustrating, watching a team play like this, you would think with the wages they earn, the players would understand that the objective is to score goals and not pass the ball around incessantly.
Gilly, Belgium (25/10/2009 at 16:06)
but well done Scousers !
Scholesy passed me the ball..., England (25/10/2009 at 16:08)
Seamus, Vanisle,ex-Stretford (25/10/2009 at 16:08)
Ted Socha (25/10/2009 at 16:09)
neal 07, south stand lower (25/10/2009 at 16:10)
Sam Platt (25/10/2009 at 16:11)
RemiMoses, Ireland (25/10/2009 at 16:13)
magnumopus, Utrecht (25/10/2009 at 16:14)
RemiMoses, Ireland (25/10/2009 at 16:14)
outstation, perth, australia (25/10/2009 at 16:14)
Fergie hasn't a CLUE, Madoc Ontario Canada (25/10/2009 at 16:14)
PaP, Thailand (25/10/2009 at 16:16)
When Owen could break into a penalty area, what happen? Jamie Carrager received only yellow card? That could be a goal and a game could be changed. I can say that this is shameful for the referee today.
REFEREE DAMN!
Brian Taylor (25/10/2009 at 16:17)
A. Picked the wrong midfield for this match?
B. Waited too long to make the necessary substitutions??
C. When he finally made the subs, he made the wrong ones by bringing Berba off & not bringing Anderson on???
Serge, Europe (25/10/2009 at 16:17)
But two points:
firstly, I´ll admit right now that ive been down on Giggs, foolishly, as he is still in great shape and makes us tick, though I cannot admit that he can play in the center of the pitch, he is top class on the left and with his set pieces. But the idea of starting Scholes (who loses possession every time he plays, more and more alarmingly) and Giggs, as part of a two man midfield away from home is, quite frankly, a bit mad.
Secondly, the "Ref" was a poor excuse for a human being, a robotic servant to Liverpool. Details, some might say, but details decide top class games like these, and booking our players for small offenses and not booking Liverpool players for persistent fouling equal in measure but greater in offense, is abysmal. And to not send off Carragher when he was the last man fouling Owen whos through on goal should mean he should never officiate a top 4 clash again, if at all in the Premiership. He is not up for it, and his performance needs to be investigated.
But take nothing away from how poor we were. Yes people have said Liverpool without Torres and Gerrard look ordinary. Well newsflash, we do not look great, we look good. And good is not good enough. The midfield seriously need sorting out, in January. If Hargreaves makes it back, great, top class he is, but even if he does, and most of us doubt he will, we still need to strengthen that average midfield, average for a good side, good for an average side, and nowhere near good enough for a side thats supposedly great.
MOTM: Vidic
BrewDevil, Clemson,USA (25/10/2009 at 16:20)
Brian, Brussels (25/10/2009 at 16:20)
Patrick McLOUGHLIN, North Carolina, USA (25/10/2009 at 16:23)
Red Bill, Salford (25/10/2009 at 16:24)
nodge, goa india (25/10/2009 at 16:25)
Fergie hasn't a CLUE, Madoc Ontario Canada (25/10/2009 at 16:26)
skh,pj. Malaysia. When Rooney gets the sevice and support that Torres got, like when he plays for England, he is a far better player. Torres could have played for us today and would probably have been taken off at half time, being ineffective. But then again Fergie wouldn't have noticed because all Uniteds players were ineffective.
danny, WILMSLOW (25/10/2009 at 16:30)
John is far to slow to get at the opposition defenders Fabio or Raphael or Delaet would have been better.
Yet again the Fairy Rio gets shoved off the ball by another forward it happens to many times.Rooney,s passes were going all over the place, Giggs did nothing and should have been replaced at half time.
We hardly had one decent shot on the Liverpool goal and as others have said how do you expect to beat a really rubbish Liverpool side with Fergies team or tactics
Anderson should have played we lacked enough pace and nobody who was prepared to run and get behind their defenders Torres showed in between his blatant diving how to hold up a ball attack the opposition goal Ronaldo is missed badly Owen would have scored if he had not been hauled back loosing to scoucers is an embarrassment now they will be buzzing and we are wondering how Fergie still has a job.
ChateThailand, Bangkok Thailand (25/10/2009 at 16:31)
(1) We don't have a real BIG (Good Height) top-class striker who can play against a top class defender...
Liverpool have Torres
Chelsea have Drogba and Anelka
Arsenal have Van Persie
For us, Berbatov is useless...
(2) In the key Midfield Area (Central), we are far behind our rivals
Liverpool have Gerrard (arguably the best English midfield player) and Mascherano (The best Argentine midfield)
Chelsea have Lampard (arguably the best English midfield player) and Essien (Very powerful and dynamic midfield) including Ballac, J.Cole, etc. who are all top clas player...
Arsenal have Fabrecas who rated as the hottest young properties in the market.
For us, Scholes is too old to play, Carrick is not good enough (Hardly get into the England Int.), Anderson form is up and down and hardly get into the Brazilian Int Team, Hargreves is always injured, Fletcher is a good working hard player, but his class is very far from a so-called Wordl Class player.
So, United should find a real replacement for Roy Keane in the midfield area, and a REAL top calss striker should be bought to replace Berbatov.