Manchester United participated in only their third
Saturday lunchtime kick-off of the season against Liverpool at Old
Trafford.
And they will be thankful there are – as yet – no more planned
this campaign following the humiliating 4-1 humbling by Rafael
Benitez’s men, their biggest home defeat since losing by the same
scoreline to QPR in January 1992.
The Premier League leaders may still look set to seal their 18th
league crown in May, but it will not have been secured courtesy of
their performances from early Saturday starts in 2008/09.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have lost just three league games this
season, and they have all been following 12:45 Saturday starts, at
the hands of their bitter north-west rivals twice, and against
Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in November.
Their only other Saturday lunchtime kick-off, a Noon start at
Goodison Park back in October, ended in a 1-1 draw against
Everton.
And if you add United’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge
last April to the 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium in November
2007, the current English, European and World champions have
triumphed just once in their last seven Saturday lunchtime starts
in the Premier League.
That success – a 4-1 win at home to West Ham last May – all-but
sealed the league title in the penultmate match of last season.
