Stoop: Park Ji-sung nodded home on the hour for
Manchester United
Bloody Park Ji-sung...
Manchester United came from behind to clamber back to
the Premier League summit, trampling on Liverpool's top-four hopes
in the process. Park Ji-sung headed home the winner after an hour,
securing the spoils after Wayne Rooney's 33rd goal of the season
had controversially levelled Fernando Torres' fifth-minute
opener.
Although victory was not achieved without a nervy ending, during
which Torres spurned a glorious chance to equalise, the result kept
United's noses in front of Arsenal and Chelsea.
For Liverpool though, fight was not enough. When they scored
four times in the corresponding fixture last season, it appeared to
open the door to that championship Holy Grail.
Not only has that been proved fool's gold, a 10th defeat of the
season leaves them requiring slip-ups from Tottenham and others
just to finish in a Champions League spot.
What Rafael Benitez claimed before Christmas was a guaranteed
fourth-place finish could hardly be further away.
Sir Alex Ferguson once claimed that a game of tiddlywinks
between what the majority still believe to be England's biggest
clubs could trigger the deepest of passions.
Full blooded: Wayne Rooney dives in on Steven
Gerrard in the fiery affair
Certainly there was no sense of inferiority from the
visitors despite their present status, and with good reason. It was
the Merseysiders who had won the last three meetings - each of
which featured the dismissal of Nemanja Vidic, who it seems in
Torres has found someone he simply cannot handle.
Such is the mystique surrounding that duel there was an audible
gasp the first time Torres ran at the Serbian. Like so much of the
opening period's final half-hour, it petered out disappointingly.
The spark had been ignited long before that, although Torres was
the one who flicked the switch.
By his very demeanour, Torres gave the impression of being a man
on a mission.
Five minutes into the contest, he seized on the loose ball after
Michael Carrick had lost possession, sending Steven Gerrard away at
top speed with an inspired backheel.
Opener: Fernando Torres (right) and Gerrard
celebrate
As Gerrard found Dirk Kuyt to his right, Torres
continued his own run, United's defence never set properly to
ensure the Spaniard remained under their control.
By the time Kuyt dug out his cross, Torres was on his own.
Park's wayward effort from a similar position later on proved the
goal was anything but the routine effort it looked to be as the
Spanish star guided the ball out of Edwin van der Sar's reach.
Quite apart from falling behind against such fierce rivals, an
increasingly enthralling title race demanded a United comeback. For
Liverpool, the equaliser came far too quickly. The controversy was
immediate too.
Spot on: Rooney fires home his first-half
penalty
Benitez argued Javier Mascherano's attempt to haul back
Antonio Valencia was outside the box, which, indeed, was where the
infringement began. Ferguson countered the combative midfielder had
prevented a clear goalscoring opportunity.
The managers - no friends these two - continued their
finger-jabbing row long after Wayne Rooney had tucked home the
rebound from a spot-kick awarded by Howard Webb and saved by Pepe
Reina.
That was it for the goal threat until the hour mark arrived.
During his long career, Gary Neville has gone on plenty of
unselfish runs down the right wing, knowing David Beckham or, more
latterly, Cristiano Ronaldo were never going to give him the
ball.
Darren Fletcher is not quite of that attacking calibre but
Neville must have sensed his run was purely to provide space for
the Scot.
Hotting up: Manchester United boss Sir Alex
Ferguson clashes with Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez
So it proved. As Neville flew past on the overlap,
Emiliano Insua edged to his right. In an instant, Fletcher had
exploited the gap and curled over a cross.
As Rooney and Jamie Carragher tussled and tugged, Park arrived
behind them, launching himself at the ball like a guided missile
and powering the diving header into the corner of Reina's goal.
Rooney had one more chance before the end, which he fired wide.
Torres was on the end of a far better one when Steven Gerrard
drilled over a low cross near the end.
For once against United, the Spaniard miscued and Yossi Benayoun
headed the loose ball straight at Edwin van der Sar.
United could celebrate, Neville and Ferguson doing the
cheerleading. Liverpool's money men are staring at a big black hole
marked Champions League,
Benitez is failing on his guarantees.