Luck Of The Red Devils

First and foremost, I am a Manchester United fan.

Before I start writing about the big match between Liverpool and Manchester United that took place at Anfield yesterday, I have to be brutally honest with myself that the Red Devils were indeed very lucky to win the match yesterday.

I think majority of the United fans will agree with me that this is the match where United played extremely badly and yet still managed to take all 3 points away from Liverpool, a result which stunned Rafa Benitez.

Please don't take all the credit away from the Red Devils, as this is what I would call it as mark of the champions. For most of the match, they were being dominated, outplayed and made to endure waves and waves of Liverpool attacks. But the Red Devils managed to hold on and to grab a last minute winner through an unlikely scorer in the name of John O'Shea. This is what I would describe it as a smash and grab win.

I knew that Liverpool fans will be left complaining about how lucky Manchester United is, and how they managed to make the Red Devils play like schoolboys instead of potential Premiership Champions. They will also comment that they enjoyed far greater possession of the ball, the most shots on goal, the mostly likely team to score as they were attacking the United goal all the way and even had a goal disallowed. That is football. If you can't score, you cannot win. United presented them with numerous chances to score, which they failed to do so. Liverpool just wasn't ruthless enough to finish United off, and they were made to suffer in the end.

Manchester United cannot afford to be too happy though, as they will be without Paul Scholes as he was red carded in the game. Wayne Rooney will also be most likely to be sidelined with a gash to his right knee after a challenge from Jamie Carragher. Moreover, Henrik Larsson's loan deal will be expiring soon and that will leave United short of strikers. So, the next few matches will most likely be a test of the Red Devils character to maintain their 9 points lead over Chelsea at the top of the table. (Chelsea have beaten Portsmouth 2-0)

Back to the match. Both Liverpool and United paraded their top stars in this explosive encounter despite their upcoming champions league commitments against Barcelona and Lille respectively. Liverpool started brightly in the opening stages of the game, restricting United to their own half and managed to prevent them from playing their attacking brand of soccer.

The upfront pairing of Rooney and Larsson proved to be ineffective as Liverpool managed to keep Cristiano Ronaldo and Giggs from provided any form of decent service to them. The Red Devils were also left huffing and puffing for most of the match and were unable to impose themselves in the match.

In spite of Liverpool's dominance, the score remained nil - nil.

The second half started with Liverpool attacking, and United defending. Liverpool threw everything at United, but the Red Devils managed to hold on. Van der Sar was the busiest of the lot, making saves after saves to keep United in the game. Liverpool had a goal disallowed after Bellamy was in an offside position.

Bellamy and Kuyt both had efforts blocked, and then Riise fired a 20-yarder just over the angle.

But United responded with breaks of their own, Ronaldo prominent, and on the hour Liverpool replaced Gonzalez with Fabio Aurelio.

United soon took off Evra and sent on Mikael Silvestre as both teams now had more more defensive players on the pitch, such was the delicate balance of the match.

Then United made a positive move, sending on the speedy Saha for Larsson, the Swede in his final league match for the club before his loan ends.

After 68 minutes Jermaine Pennant replaced Bellamy, who had run selflessly all match, and Gerrard was pushed forward.

United lost Rooney after a foul by Carragher that cost the Liverpool man a booking. Rooney had damaged his knee and limped away to be replaced by O'Shea.

Crouch was then sent on for Mohamed Sissoko and on 80 minutes Neville was cautioned for bringing down Pennant.
Crouch found space at the far post, but when a header seemed his best chance of scoring, he opted to bring the ball down and volley, van der Sar saving well to his left.

Four minutes from time Scholes managed to get himself sent off for swinging and missing Alonso with a right hook. The Spaniard had been holding the United man's arm and having already been booked, he was fortunate not to receive a second yellow card.

Van der Sar saved superbly from a Crouch shot, but in injury time United stole the points when O'Shea scored after a Ronaldo free-kick had rebounded off Jose Reina. The goal stunned Anfield, who had seen their side dominate much of the second period but without adding the finishing touch.

For United, it will be a result savoured for years, one that almost certainly gives them the title.

Ryan Giggs starting his 700th game for Manchester United.

Sissoko and Cristiano Ronaldo battling for the ball.

Rooney leaving the pitch after a collision with Carragher. He was replaced by O'Shea in the 73rd minute.

Scholes receiving his red card in the 86th minute.

The match winner by John O'Shea

Its a goal! O'Shea (jersey number 22) wheels away in absolute delight as the Red Devils notched up a shock victory over Liverpool despite the Reds dominance for most of the match.

Match Details:

Liverpool 0
Manchester United 1

Scorer: John O'Shea (90th minute)

Liverpool:

25 Jose Reina
5 Daniel Agger
23 Jamie Carragher
3 Steve Finnan
14 Xabi Alonso
8 Steven Gerrard
11 Mark Gonzalez
6 John Arne Riise
22 Mohamed Sissoko
17 Craig Bellamy
18 Dirk Kuyt

Substitutes:

1 Jerzy Dudek
12 Fabio Aurelio
4 Sami Hyypia
16 Jermaine Pennant
15 Peter Crouch

Substitutions:

60th minute: Aurelio for Gonzalez
69th minute: Pennant for Bellamy
79th minute: Crouch for Sissoko

Yellow Cards:

Alonso (41st minute)
Carragher (72nd minute)

Manchester United:

1 Edwin Van der Sar
3 Patrice Evra
5 Rio Ferdinand
2 Gary Neville
15 Nemanja Vidic
16 Michael Carrick
11 Ryan Giggs
7 Cristiano Ronaldo
18 Paul Scholes
17 Henrik Larsson
8 Wayne Rooney

Substitutes:

29 Tomasz Kuszczak
6 Wes Brown
22 John O'Shea
27 Mikael Silvestre
9 Louis Saha

Substitutions:

63rd minute: Silvestre for Evra
67th minute: Saha for Larsson
73rd minute: O'Shea for Rooney

Yellow Cards:

Carrick (43rd minute)
Neville (81st minute)

Red Card:

Scholes (86th minute)