If you’re a football fan and is unaware that Liverpool beat Manchester United last Sunday, you must be living in a cave. That’s how big one of these games are when two of football’s biggest rivals face off. The Reds 2-0 win was certainly a big relief at Anfield as they had lost 4 in a row prior to that. What makes it ever so sweet is that it was against their fiercest rival.
This game was not about life and death for Liverpool, it was more than that. A defeat would mean 5 defeats in a row and the last time that happened Liverpool were relegated! The win not only puts Liverpool’s title credentials back in line, but it also gives great confidence for the team and believe that anything is possible, even without Stevie G. Sunday’s encounter has also brought the best out of Lucas, who has been seen as the spoiled apple in the barrel by Liverpool fans and Yossi Benayoun has shown he is capable of being a significant figure at the kop and march the team forward during the absence of their charismatic captain. An 80% fit Fernando Torres yet again proved he is among the best in the business.
It’s not all doom and gloom for the Red Devils. Last season, despite two defeats to Liverpool, United still grabbed the title despite a little hiccup along the way. There is one stat United’s fans should look at and be relieved. Last season United only gained 5 points from a possible 18 from big four teams and still won the title. Rivals Liverpool had an impressive 14 yet they finished second. Even Arsenal who finished fourth had 9 points. This shows Liverpool have nothing to be excited about Sunday’s win and should concentrate on building on this victory. As for United, a good run of form will be the key to another successful season.
After 3 successive defeats to Liverpool, it makes us think, are United that good of a team? In all three games Nemanja Vidic was sent off, United scored only 2 and conceded 8 and two of the games was without their biggest threat Stevie G starting. Then again, Liverpool only seem to perform when the stakes are high and when there is no need for extra motivation. This can be evident from their excellent form in the Champions League under Rafael Benitez. I am sure Liverpool fans would rather lose to Manchester United and win the league other than vice versa. So can Rafael Benitez be blamed for having a squad with potential and not delivering the coveted league title? As Liverpool and other title rivals drop points unnecessarily against smaller teams, United seem to lose points only in games where we expect them to and win most of the other games. This alone is sufficient to win the league. That’s why there aren’t any alarm bells ringing at Old Trafford after the defeat at Anfield.
After a hard fought victory for Liverpool, let’s see if they could sustain this run and get maximum points against Fulham, Birmingham City, Manchester City and the Merseyside derby away to Everton. While Chelsea face Manchester United and Arsenal in the coming month, it will be an enormous chance for Liverpool to close the gap and reach the pinnacle of the table.
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