It was a game that Man United deserve to win, but in saying
that throughout all their domination, Lallana’s miss was a key moment in the
game. Liverpool counter-attacked,
Henderson delivered a glorious curling ball into Sturridge who cushioned his
pass into the path on the oncoming Henderson to unbelievably shoot wide from
close range. A goal at that stage will have
stung United after dictating play for so long and on the cusp of half-time.
United scored the type of goal the Anfield throng have been
used to over the past two seasons. A
killer through ball by Herraira inside Moreno with Skrtel playing Mata onside
and the ex-Chelsea player expertly putting Man United into the lead. In a match where the atmosphere is usually
fever pitched Man United quietened the home crowd to a large extent throughout
the half.
Liverpool came into the game in the final ten minutes of the
half, but Mata’s goal and Lallana’s miss were the only real chances of the
first-half.
The need to regain control of the game forced Rodgers to
bring on Steven Gerrard for Adam Lallana.
Liverpool needed a Captain Fantastic performance in the
country’s biggest derby. What we got was
a rash stamp by Gerrard on Herreira within 40 seconds of his entrance and a red
card to leave his team a goal down and full half of football to play without
him.
Understandably, Gerrard will have
wanted to pick his team up by the scruff of the neck and he did with his first
tackle on Mata, but Liverpool now languish some 5 points behind Man United
without his input for the next three games, the next of which is against
Arsenal.
Philippe Coutinho fired in a couple of long range shots to
keep De Gea on his mettle, but on 56 minutes Mata took the game away from
Liverpool with a stunning goal of unadulterated class.
Mata played a short pass into Di Maria who returned the
favour with a floated pass back to Mata, undetected by Moreno the Spaniard acrobatically
volleyed into the corner of the net past Mignolet. It was a crushing blow and Rodgers realising
the game was slipping away brought on Balotelli for Moreno.
Man United sat back allowing Liverpool possession and with
very little pressure on the ball Coutinho was allowed time and space to fine
Sturridge in a goal scoring position for the first time. The striker fired in a shot which took a
slight deflection of Jones past De Gea.
If Liverpool fans were thinking game on with 20 minutes to
go, they were to be disappointed. The
game petered out with Man United playing within themselves for a well-deserved
win and leaving Liverpool to look back on a sub-standard first-half performance
and Steven Gerrard on an unbelievable moment of madness which leaves Liverpool
a lot to do to gain a Champions League place.
Man of match: Daniel Sturridge – lived off scraps with very
little supply, but his deft pass should have seen Lallana equalise and like the
top class finisher he is with his first real chance breathed life back into
Liverpool.
Critical eye: Liverpool were unbelievably poor in the half, lacking
intensity and time and again failed to contain the threat of Marouane Fellaini
in the air and his strength on the ground.
It took 35 minutes for Liverpool to get into the game and in a game of
few chances Lallana missed a glorious chance to go into the interval
all-square.
One felt Liverpool lacked impetus and a cutting edge with
Sterling languishing out on the right and it was surprising Brendan Rodgers
chose to leave out Markovic for Lallana or using the option of Johnson to help
with the threat of Fellaini.
The Liverpool midfield was disappointing. Their inability to cope was one of the prime
reasons Liverpool were unable to get a foothold and as good as Joe Allen has
been lately he may well be looking over his shoulder with the returning Lucas
as was caught on the ball a tad too often.
I have often supported Mario Balotelli on here, but he
unwillingness to ‘bust a gut’ for the cause with his team one man down was
disappointing. With Man United looking
to run down the clock he could often being seen sauntering around the middle
when we required all hands to the pump.
Time maybe running down on his Anfield career if it hasn’t
already.
Line-ups:
Liverpool starting
formation 3-4-3
22 Mignolet, 23 Emre Can, 37 Skrtel, 17 Mamadou Sakho, 31
Sterling, 14 Henderson, 24 Allen, 18 Moreno (Balotelli - 66 mins), 20 Lallana
(Gerrard – 45 mins), 15 Sturridge, 10 Coutinho
Substitutes: 1
Jones, 2 Johnson, 4 Kolo Toure, 8 Gerrard, 9 Lambert, 21 Lucas, 45 Mario
Balotelli
Man United 4-1-4-1
1 De Gea, 25 Antonio Valencia, 12 Smalling, 4 Jones, 17
Blind (Rojo – 90+4 mins), 16 Carrick, 8 Mata, 21 Herrera (Falcao – 83 mins), 31
Fellaini, 18 Young (Angel di Maria – 55 mins), 10 Rooney
Substitutes: 32
Valdes, 2 Rafael, 5 Rojo, 7 Angel di Maria, 9 Falcao, 11 Januzaj, 44 Pereira
Referee: Martin
Atkinson
Attendance:
44,405
Steven Gerrard
comments: "I need to accept it, the decision was right. I have let my
team-mates and manager down today, even more importantly I let all the
supporters down and I take full responsibility for my action."
"I tried to jump his tackle, I saw his studs and I
reacted wrong. I've been in the game long enough to know when you do something
like that, especially at the timing of the game, at half-time with 45 to play,
a great opportunity to get back in the game, I take full responsibility for
it."
Asked what caused his anger to boil over, Gerrard added:
"I don't know. Probably, just the reaction to the initial tackle, I don't
think I should say too much more on it, I came to speak to apologise to
everyone in the dressing room, all the supporters, all the players because I
take full responsibility for today's result."
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