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MOTD- Manchester United 0-3 Liverpool

By on March 16, 2014

Even Sir Alex Ferguson, the former Manchester United manager who once famously claimed he had knocked “Liverpool right off their (bleeping) perch” will have to admit that Liverpool show signs of turning the tables. With a 3-0 win at Old Trafford, the Reds have began the process of knocking United off the perch they established under Ferguson, who sat glumly watching his side in the disastrous loss, probably wishing he could join the thousands of home supporters filtering out of the stadium before the match was even over. After all, it would have taken a lot more than some Fergie time to lift David Moyes side out of defeat.

It’s a nightmare. It’s one of the worst days I’ve ever had in football.” – Wayne Rooney

Moyes might have the courage to blame their loss on the fact that two of Liverpool’s three goals came from penalties, but in reality is was such a wretched showing from the home side that they were lucky not to lose by four or five. Considering Steven Gerrad actually missed a penalty for Liverpool too it wouldn’t even have been that surprising if the visitors has scored six.  Neither would it have been offbeat for Brendan Rodgers’ side to go up only two minutes into the match as Daniel Sturridge flashed a shot wide after Jordan Henderson slipped the forward in behind the United defense down the left.

Liverpool continued to push forward, and although United began to settle into the match, Joe Allen so nearly put the Scousers in front in the twenty-seventh minute with a low flashing volley from twelve yards out. David De Gea comfortably stopped the shot, but failed when Gerrard stepped up to take a penalty five minutes later after Rafael had deliberately stopped Luis Suarez from breaking into the box from the left with a handball. Gerrard coolly slammed his spot-kick into the right side of the net to make it 1-0. United mustered up a response, however muted it was. Wayne Rooney whipped Rafael’s low cross from the left on goal but Simon Mignolet came out strong to parry the shot away.

Yet that would turn out to be United’s only shot on goal the entire match as Liverpool came out for the second half a much better side. In fact, they doubled their lead just two minutes into the second period via another penalty. This time it was a more questionable call from referee Mark Clattenburg, but the Englishman probably made the right call in awarding the penalty when Phil Jones bugled Allen over near the penalty spot. Gerrard tucked home his second penalty of the match, and could have made it three in the seventy-third minute, only to see his deflected effort from thirty-yards bounced inches wide of the post.

Gerrard had an even better chance to seal the win four minutes later, but struck his third penalty back out off the base of the left-hand post after Sturridge dove to earn the spot-kick and Nemanja Vidic a red card. Suarez then out-muscled Jones to bring himself one-on-one with De Gea as Liverpool desperately looked to make it an embarrassment for their rivals, yet Suarez’s volley from just seven-or-so yards out was somehow tipped wide by a fantastic diving save from De Gea. Finally, Liverpool had their third when Sturridge’s scuffed shot fell right to the feet of Suarez, who took one touch to stop the ball before curling a wonderful winner around De Gea into the bottom left corner of the net.  It would end up only to be three goals for Liverpool, yet that will still hurt for a seventh-place United, who might be starting to consider a sacking.
Man of the Match: Steven Gerrard

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.