TF90M’s Correspondent Sunit Thakurta reports on Liverpool’s terrific victory over their arch-rivals Manchester United and asks could the title race be back on?
Old Trafford, Manchester, Saturday 14/03/2009, 14:45 GMT
Final score: Manchester United 1 Liverpool 4
A dream score line for the Merseysiders but what a blow to United’s pride. The title is still for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men to win yet there is a feeling that Liverpool’s amazing win at the Theatre of Dreams on Saturday afternoon has pierced a hole into Manchester United’s indomitable title tag.
With the season into its final stages, United are still the bookmakers’ favourites to retain the Premier league title and in all probability that will be the case as the Red Devils still lead Liverpool by four points with a game in hand. So United fans need not panic as the quest for an unprecedented five trophies is still very much on. Yet Sir Alex Ferguson is fuming inside as he experienced one of his worst days in the United dug-out in his long and glittering managerial career.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was his usual calm self in the post match conference but clearly he was delighted with the way his team responded after going a goal down. Rafa knew he has masterminded a victory against the bitter enemy that will have long standing ramifications in English football. The victory may be a bit too late when it comes to the title challenge yet the biggest victory at Old Trafford in seventy three years is tailor-made for the long term as the age old notion of United’s home invincibility has been brutally smashed by Steven Gerrard and company on a beautiful sunny afternoon.
Honestly Liverpool’s march at Old Trafford was as stunning as unexpected but the result proves that the Reds have it in them to be England’s mightiest.
As far as Europe is concerned, there is no doubt that Rafa’s men are class apart yet domestically doubts still linger on the club’s ability to withstand a season of intense pressure. Well, now it is for all to see how the club moves forward especially after achieving the double over eternal enemy’s Manchester United. One never knows how the final leg of the season would unfold if Liverpool keep on winning till May and although the Red Devils are comfortably placed at the top with a game in hand, Saturday’s 4-1 hammering will be hurting Sir Alex’s men and this wound will take time to heal and that is where United will be vulnerable.
All the talk before the match centered around United’s march to the quintuple, Wayne Rooney’s hate comments against old nemesis Liverpool and how many would the Red Devils score to snuff the title challenge out of Liverpool’s heart for good. But in Rafa Benitez the Reds have a man who not only has the guts to stand up to Sir Alex Ferguson’s alleged disdain of the match officials but also has an amazingly strong calmness that rubs off on to his players on the field. It happened in the Champions League against Real Madrid and on Saturday against all odds Liverpool ‘never walked alone’ courtesy of their ruthlessly cool manager, inspirational captain Steven Gerrard and a full squad of brave hearts ready to back their Spanish manager in a personal duel with his more celebrated Scottish counterpart. And what a response it turned out to be!
Missing influential Xabi Alonso was a bad omen, losing defender Alvaro Arbeloa prior to the kick off was even worse but in veteran Sami Hyypia, Anfield has a servant who deserves all the praise for his service to the club as the manager’s faith in him. Worse still is the fact that Liverpool went a goal down after just 22 minutes when Pepe Reina hurled down Park Ji Sung for Cristiano Ronaldo to romp home a well taken spot kick. The writing was probably on the wall given United’s impeccable defensive record this season; it would be hard for the Merseysiders to come back into the game. But in Fernando Torres, the five time European champions have a striker who in my humble and simple eyes is the best in the business currently in world football. Aided by an unusually erratic Nemanja Vidic, Torres scored the equalizer that was all about his pace, skill and determination and probably this goal turned the match on its head as both Torres and the brilliant Gerrard combined to rattle United not only on the field but deep inside the heart. Sir Alex might be speaking of United’s dominance in the game but that opinion did not sell much on Sunday’s morning newspapers as the 4-1 score line clearly nullifies his arguments.
It would be better for Sir Alex to look forward and pick his wounded side up for the rest of the season as there is every penny to play for considering the history that United are chasing. Liverpool should be given all due credit for a fantastic performance and with the news that Benitez has signed a new contract at the club, with solidarity now in place; the remainder of the season could prove intriguing.
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