Opinion: United Reclaim Superiority Over Liverpool

Manchester United fans had grown accustomed to finishing ahead of Liverpool in the table until last season, when the Merseysiders looked set to win the Barclays Premier League for the first time.

In 2012/13, the Reds won the championship and finished 28 points clear of our fierce rivals. But Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement changed the landscape and that was widely accepted by the Old Trafford support. There was bound to be a period of transition but, due to the exceptional improvement of Brendan Rodgers' side, this was brought into sharp focus very early into the 2013/14 campaign.

I was at Anfield last season and saw Liverpool win 1-0. Robin van Persie had one great chance to salvage a point but there were few opportunities to level the scores, ensuring a miserable afternoon for United's followers. Revenge was swift, thanks to a home Capital One Cup victory by the same scoreline, and both managers, David Moyes and Rodgers, suggested afterwards that there was little between the two teams.

It was impossible to refute but it struck a chord with me. Having grown up in an era where Liverpool dominated, at home and abroad, it was uncomfortable being forced to accept they had closed the gap within weeks of the season starting. As the campaign wore on, the Merseysiders made startling progress and arrived in Manchester in mid-March as favourites to take the points to maintain their title push.

The bookmakers offering shorter odds on Liverpool lifting the trophy than United early in the season had also sent a shudder through me and, once again, it was difficult to argue their in-form side should not be considered likely to win at the Theatre of Dreams. Not only did they do this but it was utterly convincing, posting a 3-0 win even with Steven Gerrard missing one of his three penalties.

As a United fan, this was as bad as it gets but the defiance of the home support illustrated the belief that things would improve and a sense of normality could return. Liverpool, of course, ultimately failed in their mission to end their title drought and there was a different mood ahead of Sunday's encounter between the two famous clubs. This time, the hosts were confident and expecting a sixth straight victory.

Again, the match went to form but Marcos Rojo's injury meant there were no new signings in Louis van Gaal's starting XI. The players were criticised by some last term but for all the talk of a revolution being required, those who had the manager's faith proved too strong for Liverpool and the 3-0 victory provided perfect symmetry to last season's scoreline.

With Christmas approaching, there is a 10-point gap between the clubs in favour of van Gaal's men and this will give everybody of a United persuasion a much warmer glow when indulging in the festivities, particularly if the run can be extended to seven games at Aston Villa on Saturday.

We all realise there is much work to be done, particularly if Chelsea and Manchester City are to be caught in 2015, and the Premier League is about much more than any simple United versus Liverpool agenda. However, after the experiences of last term, this latest result was a huge one for those who truly appreciate the rivalry.

The opinions expressed in this article are personal to the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Manchester United FC.

Credit: manutd.com