P: Liverpool 0 -1 United
O’Shea (91) This vital away victory, which may yet prove decisive in returning the title to United, was earned to the widespread astonishment of both sides at Anfield.
John O’Shea’s close-range, injury-time winner and some alert goalkeeping from Edwin Van Der Sar, enabled United to snatch all three points in a game which should have been lost long, long before. United failed to create a single chance in the second half until the goal and were on the back foot throughout the game. Football. Bloody hell!
That said, Liverpool can only have themselves to blame. Excellent chances went begging as the home side proved unable to transform territorial dominance into goals.
From the very start, United were pushed back. Liverpool took the game to the visitors and with Vidic unusually shaky and Evra identified as more vulnerable than the stalwart Gary Neville, Benitez’s men looked to hit United down the left through Gerrard and Bellamy.
Defender Daniel Agger signalled Liverpool’s intent with a fierce shot from distance which just cleared Van Der Sar’s bar in the 11th minute. The United goalkeeper was equal to or undisturbed by further efforts from Gonzalez and Riise. United probed for a clear opening but Rooney in the 12th minute and Ronaldo some 10 minutes later spurned the available openings.
With Larsson anonymous on his last Premiership outing for United and Giggs only a fitful influence, United needed attentive performances from their midfield. Scholes stepped up masterfully but Carrick again disappeared in a match of importance. Thank goodness, Rio Ferdinand chose the occasion to put in his most authoritative display in years.
In the 30th minute, Liverpool should have taken the lead. Bellamy cut in from the right after some neat approach play and with Vidic bamboozled, fired heavily across the United penalty box, his pass eluding the on-rushing Kuyt.
This lack of precision continued into the second half as United fell further and further into last ditch defending. The opening five minutes witnessed four glorious opportunities for Liverpool that came to nothing.
As Benitez shuffled the home pack in search of victory, Sir Alex stiffened United’s defense, midfield and attack by throwing on Silvestre, O’Shea and Saha. The substitutions cut Liverpool’s effectiveness along the left flank and allowed United to have more confidence when moving forward.
The game appeared to be heading for a draw until the 86th minute when Scholes was dismissed for aiming a punch at the midfielder Alonso, who had had running battles with United’s players and the referee all afternoon.
An encouraged Liverpool stormed upfield and when a minute later, Kuyt’s cross found Crouch undisturbed and with time in United’s penalty area, the England striker chose to control the pass rather than head goalwards. His shot was expertly saved by Van Der Sar. Liverpool must have sensed then that the chance of victory had gone.
United looked ready to run down the clock as the fourth official announced four minutes of extra time, until a foul on Giggs in the 91st minute earned United a free kick and a rare opportunity. Reina could only parry Ronaldo’s direct strike and with Liverpool’s defenders at sixes and sevens, O’Shea reacted first to the lose ball and drove his shot high into the net.
TEAM
United: Van Der Sar; Evra (Silvestre 62); Vidic ; Ferdinand; Ronaldo; Carrick; Scholes; Larsson (Saha 66); Rooney (O’Shea 73)
Subs: Kuszczak; Brown
POST SCRIPT
Sir Alex: “This was a massive result. We broke away and scored in the last couple of minutes at Fulham and we did it again today — it happens in championship races. We had a lot of narrow escapes and Liverpool upset our rhythm. They will feel very unlucky and they deserve to.”
Rafa Benitez: “I would have trouble explaining how we lost that in Spanish; in English I find it almost impossible. We dominated the game, were in control and had plenty of attacks. Sometimes football is all about luck. When you have so much of the play and make chances without scoring, you must be careful against a team as good as United. It just was not our day.
“United are really close to the title now. Chelsea are a good team, but they cannot make mistakes now because United will continue to win.”
