Manchester United 3-2 Liverpool: Match Report

He scored a goal at the opposite end to that of a memorable chip and his collar was flapping about rather than turned-up, but yesterday Old Trafford finally accepted a legend incarnate.

Dimitar Berbatov, after two seasons of trying to win the hearts of Manchester United fans, became only the second player in over 60 years to score a hat trick against arch rivals Liverpool. One of his goals, of Cantona-esque showmanship, will live long in the memory of those in the Stretford End.

His Liverpool counterpart, Fernando Torres, so often a tormentor of United’s backline, was eclipsed by the Bulgarian. Torres was starved of any supplies from a midfield who for large parts of the match were more concerned with retaining possession than carving open United as they had done so emphatically 18 months earlier at the same ground.

Berbatov gave United the lead, scoring his seventh goal of the season, as half time approached. Ryan Giggs swung in a corner which was met by United’s No.9 guiding header into the corner. His marker, Liverpool’s own No.9, Torres, was caught the wrong side of Berbatov who found the left corner past Pepe Reina.

His next evoked memories of the King himself. Nani, proving to be a constant threat to Paul Konchesky, crossed the ball Berbatov who, after Rooney made no contact, deftly controlled the ball with his thigh and unleashed an overhead kick which bounced off of the cross bar and into the net. Old Trafford erupted having temporarily frozen in anticipation. Or was that admiration?

The match should have been beyond Liverpool, Ferguson later acknowledging it may have turned into a “cricket score”. Nani rendered Reina a bystander with a shot that propelled against the post, adding to this earlier blundered effort. Rooney was similarly immobile when Nani sought out the striker with a teasing ball across the six yard box.

Hodgson though deployed Gerard and Raul Meireles further upfield to assistant an isolated Torres. The decision paid dividends and sparked a comeback United have become accustomed to over the past three weeks.

Joe Cole, guilty of playing ineffective passes throughout the first half, pushed a perfectly weighted ball into the path of Torres who was bought down cynically by Johnny Evans. It was the first time Torres was given the opportunity to get beyond Evans or Nemanja Vidic and the Merseysiders would rue not doing so earlier. Gerard confidently struck the ensuing penalty into the right corner, sending Edwin Van Der Sar the opposite way.

It was Torres again who played a decisive role in Liverpool’s equaliser, falling under John O’Shea’s senseless tug. Howard Webb, undertaking his second match since the World Cup final, deemed O’Shea infringement worthy of a yellow card, much to the vocalised disbelief of Torres.

Ferguson branded the striker a ‘cheat’, saying the Spaniard had tried to remove the Ireland defender from proceedings. Replays showed Torres would have been lucky to reach Meireles’ pass before Van Der Sar. It was Gerard again who converted the set-piece, benefiting from a gap in the United wall and embarking on what seems a customary celebration involving a kiss and a camera.

Ferguson’s men were staring a wasted opportunity for the third consecutive Premier League match and Liverpool the most unlikely of points. Perhaps it was inevitable then that Berbatov, a figure of much derision for so long, would score the winner, his hat trick, in the “daddy of derbies” as Ferguson refers to this fixture.

The goal encapsulated the resurgence of United’s record signing. When John O’Shea swept a diagonal ball towards the penalty spot the Bulgarian out-jumped Jamie Carragher, generating enough power in the header for Reina to stand and observe.

He may not have puffed out his chest but Old Trafford lavished their new hero: “Ooh Aah Dimitar”, they sung.

Manchester United 0-0 Rangers: Match Report

Manchester United suffered an unexpected draw against Scottish champions Rangers last night with Antonio Valencia suffering a horror injury, furthering Sir Alex Ferguson’s misery.

Wayne Rooney made his first United appearance since allegations he slept with two prostitutes but was frustrated against a resolute and determined Rangers. Winger Valencia will today have surgery after he appeared to break his left ankle in an innocuous challenge with Kirk Broadfoot.

Ferguson named ten changes to the side that drew at against Everton in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday, with Darren Fletcher the only survivor. The United manager handed season-debuts to Tomasz Kuszcak, Chris Smalling, Wes Brown, Darron Gibson and, returning from World Cup injury, Rio Ferdinand. Rangers manager Walter Smith welcomed Kirk Broadfoot into his side after a late fitness test.

Rangers set up with a flat 4-5-1, with Kenny Miller leading the line, and were prepared to allow United possession in the second third. When United did try to penetrate the final third, Rangers scurried around the ball and erased any attack. United’s main threat came from Gibson, whose first half strikes went close without ever threatening Allan McGregor’s goal. Rooney was partnered upfront by Javier Hernandez but the partnership failed to combine and cause Rangers’ defence, lead by 40 year-old captain David Weir, major problems.

Rangers proved effective at narrowing their shape and getting ten players behind the ball when United were in possession. A tactic utilised by many at Old Trafford but rarely with such success and ease.

Indeed, United looked like United but never truly played like they can. The tempo was slow for a Champions League game under the midweek floodlights. It took time for passes to be distributed wide and link up play was lacking inspiration.

During the second half, Valencia, who enjoyed a successful previous season, appeared to lose his footing under the threat of Broadfoot. Sky camera’s showed the injury in real time but refused to show replays such was the extent of the injury. He was stretchered off breathing through an oxygen mask and was taken straight to hospital. Ferguson later said that he expects the Ecuadorian to miss the rest of the season, meaning United are a winger down without a dearth of quality to fill in.

The introduction of Ryan Giggs gave United a more spark but it was the guile of Paul Scholes that was missed most by the 2008 winners. Openings were few and far between and it was left to the long range shooting of Gibson to provide the Old Trafford with any reason to expect a late goal.

As it was Rangers held out for an impressive 0-0 draw, the final whistle greeted by the travelling three thousand supporters with roars that will travel back to Glasgow with them.

After the match Ferguson defended his team selection saying that it had played with “great intensity” adding that with the side he played United should have emerged victorious.

Smith, a long-time friend of Ferguson’s, said his team had played well that it had been “a great night for us”.

Everton 3-3 Manchester United: Match Report

Such were the events leading up to this match that it comes as a surprise that a stunning climax made the headlines and not a tabloid villain.

In a divisive move, Ferguson omitted Wayne Rooney from Saturday’s trip to Goodison so as not to “subject him to the abuse” he would surely have endured. The Scot considered Rooney’s private affairs to be of greater cause for protection than, say, David Beckham’s after he returned home from the World Cup, shamed, in 1998. And if it wasn’t for the head of Tim Cahill, twice proving to be the undoing of United’s defence, Ferguson would have been reprieved for his gamble.

Everton went into the early kick-off looking for their first win of the season. United on the other were unbeaten, taking 7 points from their first three matches.

The home side made the early advances, dominating possession and creating shooting opportunities for Steven Pienaar. The South African, who David Moyes fought to keep at Everton during the summer, was the focal point of initial attacks, aided by Tim Cahill’s early aerial domination over Johnny Evans.

The pace simmered as United gained greater authority and so did the ferocity of an Everton faithful no doubt deflated by the absence of a former hero. “Rooney”, harked the United fans, reminding the blue half of Liverpool who the striker had left Everton for.

John O’Shea, playing in a five-man midfield, first threatened Tim Howard’s goal, with a thunderous volley that clipped the outside of the post. United then proceeded to enjoy more possession and Everton were twice saved, once spectacularly, by Howard. Paul Scholes, assuming a trademark position on the outside of the area, struck a cleared corner only for a deflection to take it goal –bound. Howard denied his former team-mate with an instinctive leg that brought applause from all sides of the ground.

It was another United corner that lead to the first goal. Having defended Giggs’ out-swinging corner, the ball was played over the top of Patrice Evra, who, questionably, opted to try an overhead kick to clear and missed, allowing Mikel Arteta to race past Gary Neville and bear down on Edwin Van Der Sar’s goal. The Spanish midfielder was blocked by the Dutch keeper but only for Liam Osman to astutely, and precociously, square a pass for Pienaar to slot home.

Undaunted, United resumed where they were thirty seconds before and four minutes later grabbed an equaliser. Giggs swept a pass out wide to Nani who found the run of Darren Fletcher for the midfielder to volley past a helpless Howard. Moyes may have concerns at how easy United found Nani but make no mistake about the cross: perfection.

The second half started almost immediately with United’s second goal. Nani was again the provider, crossing in for Nemanja Vidic, who eluded Marouane Fellani to head powerfully downwards and in. The floodgates should then have opened. Nani should have threaded a pass to the awaiting Berbatov instead of blasting over, and Scholes, uncharacteristically, scuffed what by his standards should have been a simple conversion.

It came as no surprise to hear the sound of emptying chairs when Berbatov, put through by Scholes, screwed the ball with the outside of his right boot into the bottom right corner. The first touch of the striker, elegantly taking the ball away from Sylvain Distin, was followed by an equally sublime finish. Wayne who? Game over.

But the homeside hadn’t read the script and when the fourth official indicated 3 minutes of added time, an anointment that so often plays a key cameo role at United’s theatre of dreams, Leighton Baines found Tim Cahill’s head rising highest of all the United back four.

Hope rather than expectation rippled through the Victorian stadium. Sixty seconds later delirium exuded.

Baines, exploiting time and space afforded him by Gary Neville, floated a cross towards to back post where Cahill headed into the path of the oncoming Arteta. The midfielder thrashed his shot into the net, via Scholes’ deflection. The goal marked not only the most unlikely of comebacks but will no doubt go on to ignite Everton’s season. For Ferguson’s men it was the second time they have thrown away a lead already this season. Keeping their minds on things at hand remains United’s biggest concern.