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Fernando Torres and David Ngog blasted Liverpool back into the title race with a 2-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday.
Torres returned from injury to fire his side in front with a Kop end
goal midway through the second half. Substitute Ngog then wrapped up
the points with almost the last kick of the game.
A second yellow card with minutes to spare for Nemanja Vidic piled
more misery on United, for whom former Liverpool star Michael Owen
featured as a substitute.
The only sour note for the Reds was the dismissal of Javier
Mascherano, who received a second yellow in stoppage time for a foul on
Edwin van der Sar.
The result leaves Liverpool just six points behind new league
leaders Chelsea, and just as importantly lifts the mood around Anfield
after a difficult month.
For the second season running Liverpool went into this fixture
without injured skipper Steven Gerrard in the starting line-up, but
Benitez could at least call upon Glen Johnson and Torres on his 200th
league game in charge after both passed late fitness tests.
With two of the big guns back, it took Liverpool just five minutes
to carve their way through United's defence when Dirk Kuyt and Yossi
Benayoun combined superbly to tee up Lucas on the edge of the box. The
Brazilian's shot was deflected wide for a corner but it augured well
for a Reds side supposedly low on confidence.
The Kop were in good form too, pelting beach balls on to the turf
before kick off in an ironic nod to the freak goal which cost their
side so dearly in Sunderland a week ago. It takes more than Liverpool's
worst run of defeats for 22 years to dim the Scouse sense of humour.
The mood around Anfield was almost lifted further on 15 minutes
when Torres was hauled down by Patrice Evra. Fabio Aurelio stepped up
to try and repeat his set-piece goal at Old Trafford in March but this
time he was thwarted by a fine save from van der Sar. First Kuyt and
then Torres pounced on the parry but United escaped.
Minutes later Lucas ran beyond the visiting midfield before playing
Kuyt through on goal, but the Holland international dragged wide.
United didn't have a sniff until 20 minutes when Wayne Rooney and
Dimitar Berbatov orchestrated a move which sent Antonio Valencia into
space down the right. Rooney connected with the resulting cross but the
save was comfortable for Pepe Reina.
A stunning tackle from Jamie Carragher stopped Michael Carrick in
his tracks when United next threatened, but it was Liverpool who had by
far the better of the first half.
Arguably their best chance came 10 minutes before the break when
Benayoun crossed over the heads of Rio Ferdinand and Vidic only for
Aurelio to nod a free header straight at van der Sar.
The second half began in a similar fashion when Benayoun teased
United's central defenders before laying to Kuyt. The Kop begged for a
shot but instead the Dutchman squared back to Benayoun, who by now was
surrounded and unable to get a shot away.
Next Torres evaded the offside trap down United's left but elected
to cross rather than his trademark cut inside. No one was there and the
scores remained level.
Liverpool were defending superbly and attacking with force.
Carragher was back to his best, while nothing seemed to be getting past
Mascherano in midfield. The Argentina captain was even playing his part
going forward, knocking Rio Ferdinand flat with a piledriver from 30
yards.
The opener, then, was fully deserved when it arrived on 65 minutes.
Benayoun supplied the pass for Torres, who shrugged off Ferdinand's
foul before blasting beyond van der Sar and sending the Kop wild.
It could have been 2-0 on 71 minutes when Lucas thundered a
left-foot effort high into the stands from a corner. The crowd almost
missed it, so busy were they offering Owen a feisty reception during
his first foray down the touchline to warm-up.
United's injury-plagued free transfer was introduced on 74 minutes
looking to break his goalless record against the club that made him.
Valencia tried to show Owen the way after finding himself in space 10 yards out but fired too close to Reina.
United were pressing for an equaliser but Liverpool looked
dangerous on the counter, and Benayoun could have doubled their
advantage after skipping past Evra only for Vidic to make a crucial
interception.
Valencia hit the bar from close range on 84 minutes but it was as close as the visitors came.
The day ended in drama as both sides were reduced to 10 men. First
Vidic went for a cynical foul on Kuyt, then Mascherano was dismissed
for a late challenge on van der Sar.
The points were then sealed by David Ngog deep into injury-time
after the French ace evaded the linesman's flag and slotted past the
goalkeeper.
Teams
Liverpool: Reina, Insua, Agger, Carragher
(captain), Johnson, Aurelio, Mascherano, Leiva, Benayoun, Torres, Kuyt.
Subs - Cavalieri, Voronin, Babel, Ngog, Skrtel, Spearing, Degen
Manchester
United: Van der Sar, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea, Giggs (captain),
Carrick, Scholes, Valencia, Berbatov, Rooney. Subs - Foster, Neville,
Owen, Evans
Referee: Andre Marriner
Conditions: Windy
Attendance: 44,188
Man-of-the-Match: Jamie Carragher
Breakdown
14:01 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Man U kick off attacking the Kop
2 mins : So much has been said about this game...but the next 90 minutes are what matter. Come on redmen!
3 mins : Berbatov feeds Rooney and he in turn finds the net...but the flag is up for offside
4 mins : Great defending by Agger prevents Valencia from racing in on goal. Insua gave it away too cheaply there
6 mins : Lucas' speculative shot deflects for the first corner of the game
7 mins : Yossi gets the better of Vidic and drills in a low cross that United just manage to get clear
10 mins : Benayoun drives at the visiting defence and almost sends Lucas in on the right hand side of the area
13 mins : Evra trips Torres. Free-kick to the Reds in a dangerous area on the right flank... easily cleared
14 mins : Carra blocks a dangerous-looking shot from Scholes
15 mins : First Booking: Patrice Evra: The Frenchman hacks Torres down once again
16 mins : Aurelio lines up a 25 yard free-kick
16 mins : Wonder save from Van Der Sar denies the Brazilian. A
goalmouth scramble ensues with Torres blazing just wide of target after
Kuyt had crossed to the far post
18 mins : Great tackle by Lucas on Scholes sees the Brazilian race
towards goal and play in Kuyt, who drags his shot just wide of the far
post
19 mins : United have been rocking in the last five minutes. We need to make our dominance count while it is so one-sided
20 mins : A warning for LFC as the away side break at pace, with
Berbatov crossing low across the six yard box. Fortunately for us there
is no-one there to apply the finish
21 mins : Another United attack ends with Reina saving well from a Rooney header
23 mins : Vidic loses out to Torres once again. He looks nervy against the Spaniard
24 mins : Vidic crashes into the back of Torres and is lucky not to receive a yellow card
25 mins : Mascherano fizzes a long range drive well over the top
26 mins : O'Shea hits a wayward pass out for a goalkick, perhaps
illustrating how much the visitors have been on the back foot so far
29 mins : A probing run and cross from Giggs has Pepe scrambling... but
in the end it flies harmlessly out of play for a goal kick
37 mins : Aurelio fires a delightful ball out to the flank for Yossi
and then rampages into the box to meet the Israeli's cross and head
straight at Van Der Sar. Great chance goes begging
38 mins : First Booking: Dimitar Berbatov:
42 mins : Yossi is down injured and play has been halted
43 mins : He's up again now and play resumes with United giving possession back to LFC
44 mins : Carrick releases Valencia... Reina is out of his area fast and clears to safety. Brilliant goalkeeping
14:49 GMT : Half Time Reached
15:05 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : The Reds restart the contest attacking the Kop
46 mins : Agger gets flustered under pressure from Rooney...Carra is there to hook clear
47 mins : Berbatov plays the ball to the flank with typical arrogance -
only problem is that no-one was there. Cue laughs of derision from the
home support
51 mins : A mistake by Evra gifts the ball to Torres who in turn finds
Yossi. He picks out Kuyt who should shoot but opts to cross for
Benayoun who is crowded out.
52 mins : A lot happening at Anfield! Aurelio's free-kick is floated
into the area where Agger arrives to flash a header just wide
54 mins : Torres breaks the offside trap down the right flank but overhits his cross after racing towards the byline
56 mins : A lightning break from United sees Rooney earn a free-kick on the edge of the box... it comes to nothing
60 mins : Free-kick to United on the right wing. Giggs to take....
61 mins : Carrick is free at the far post, but heads straight into Johnson. Corner to the visitors...
63 mins : United enjoying their best spell of the match
65 mins : GOAL! Fernando Torres: El Nino breaks the deadlock, racing
onto Benayoun's pass and crashing a brilliant shot beyond Van Der Sar
67 mins : Just when you think we may have missed one chance too many, Torres comes up with another gem of a goal
70 mins : Super break from the Reds. Yossi finds Lucas who lays it on to Kuyt to fire just wide
71 mins : Gilt-edged chance. Lucas volleys way over after Aurelio's corner deflected into his path
72 mins : Michael Owen begins to warm-up. Not a good reception for the
ex-red. A chorus of 'Where were you in Istanbul' and 'Once a Manc never
a red' blasts out across Anfield
72 mins : First Booking: Javier Mascherano:
73 mins : Nani and Owen about to come on for Ferguson's side
74 mins : Substitution: Michael Owen for Dimitar Berbatov:
74 mins : Substitution: Nani for Paul Scholes:
75 mins : First Booking: Nemanja Vidic:
77 mins : Chance for Nani at the far post.... Easy for Reina
78 mins : Rooney lines one up...super block from Carra
79 mins : Aurelio floats a delicious ball out to Yossi who cuts in and
looks like making it two, before over indulging and being stopped by
the outstretched boot of Ferdinand
81 mins : Substitution: David Ngog for Fernando Torres:
84 mins : Valencia smashes a shot off the bar from a tight angle as the away side do what they always do - press late on
87 mins : First Booking: Jamie Carragher: Carra brings down Owen as he
surges towards goal. It could have been worse for the skipper there
87 mins : United have a great chance 25 yards from goal
88 mins : Reina plucks what you could only describe as a back pass up from Nani's attempt
89 mins : Second Booking: Nemanja Vidic:
90 mins : Five minutes of added time. What a surprise!
90 mins : Substitution: Martin Skrtel for Yossi Benayoun:
90 mins : Second Booking: Javier Mascherano:
90 mins : GOAL! David Ngog:
15:57 GMT : Match Over
source: liverpoolfc.tv
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