Babel Winner Defeats United


Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United

A late Ryan Babel goal secured Liverpool a 2-1 come-from-behind victory against rivals Manchester United at Anfield this afternoon.


Anderson and Dimitar Berbatov set-up Carlos Tevez to give the visitors a stunning lead just minutes into the match. Liverpool responded well and forced a reaction save out of Edwin van der Sar before they picked up a fortunate equaliser through a Wes Brown own goal

In the second half the home side always looked the most likely, but they could not muster a second goal until Dirk Kuyt cut-back for substitute Ryan Babel with just fifteen minutes remaining.

Nemanja Vidic was sent-off in stoppage time as United failed to launch a come-back.

Team News

The major talking point during the build-up to the match revolved around the fitness of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, who were only fit to be named as substitutes. Dirk Kuyt and Robbie Keane therefore started in attack, while winger Albert Riera was named from the start to make his debut for Liverpool.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson handed Dimitar Berbatov a debut from the start, while there was no place at all for Cristiano Ronaldo after speculation that he could be named on the bench. Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney started alongside Berbatov, with Tevez starting as a second striker, while Rooney began the game on the right-hand side of midfield. Michael Carrick returned from an ankle injury to start the game.

First Half

After just three minutes of the game, in the first meaningful attack of the afternoon, the visitors made an early breakthrough. After some neat interplay in midfield Anderson fed through Berbatov on the right-hand side of the penalty box.

Initially, the Bulgarian international seemed to be crowded out by defenders, but the former Tottenham Hotspur star was able to cut the ball back to the onrushing Tevez, who had drifted free from Javier Mascherano just outside the box and found himself in open space. The Argentine then opened his body and curled the ball past the helpless Pepe Reina into the far corner.

Liverpool responded quickly as Kuyt struck a well-timed volley narrowly wide, and almost grabbed an equaliser after a mistake from United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

A corner was flighted in from the right and Van der Sar, unchallenged, could only flap at the ball, which then fell to Kuyt just yards from goal. As the Dutchman looked set to grab the equaliser however, the ‘keeper made up for his error and blocked the shot from close-range.

Liverpool did get their leveller mid-way through the half. Xabi Alonso powered in a cross from the right, which deflected off Patrice Evra into the corridor of uncertainty between defender Wes Brown and Van der Sar. The Dutch ‘keeper rushed out of his goal and tried to tip the ball away, but was only able to deflect the ball on to Brown, and the ball cannoned off the England international and rolled into the back of his own net.

The goal seemed to re-vitalise Liverpool who were unable to gain the upper hand in the early stages. Despite the home side having the better of the game towards the end of the first half however, it was United who had the only other clear chance.

Anderson cut inside from the left and whipped the ball in for Tevez, who had timed his run to the near post excellently, but the forward could only strike the ball over the bar with the outside of his foot.

Second Half

The home side started the second half positively. New signing Riera produced some excellent wing play in just the second minute of the half as he ran with pace at Brown before whipping in an excellent cross. Kuyt would have tapped in at the far post had it not been for a crucial intervention by Evra.

Paul Scholes and Kuyt then failed to trouble the opposition ‘keepers with long-range efforts before Benayoun almost got himself through on goal with a well timed burst into the box. Kuyt was then involved again as he drove the ball in from the right, but Keane was unable to make any contact with the ball, before Martin Skrtel also tried his luck from long-range.

After coming off the bench with twenty minutes to go, Gerrard almost affected the outcome in a way he would not have planned. He gave the ball away twenty-five yards from goal, and one of United’s substitutes, Ryan Giggs, instinctively struck a dipping half-volley that forced a super stop from Reina.

Liverpool were the side making most of the running and they got their reward with fifteen minutes remaining. Mascherano went on a tremendous run to the by-line and when Giggs was unable to deal with the loose ball, Kuyt intervened and cut-back calmly to substitute Ryan Babel. The Dutch starlet did not make great contact with the ball but did enough to force it past the United defenders on the line to give the home side a vital lead.

United were unable to respond and could not create any clear-cut opportunities to get back into the game. Nemanja Vidic was sent-off for a second bookable offence in stoppage time to rub salt into their wounds after a reckless challenge on Alonso, with Liverpool now celebrating a deserved victory.

Fergie Unhappy With Defending


Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was disappointed with the way his side conceded Liverpool’s two goals at Anfield this afternoon.


Fergie’s side took the lead after just three minutes, but were pegged back by Liverpool, who went on to record a morale-boosting victory.

The United boss admitted his side had been second best, although felt his side should have been able to secure a point from the fixture despite enduring a bad day.

It was the manner of conceding the goals that disappointed the Scot most.

“Apart from our poor performance, giving the two goals away like we did is not acceptable for Manchester United,” he said to Sky Sports.

“When you are having a bad day you need to take something out of the game and we should of really done that, but it comes down to the defending, which was very poor for both of the goals,” Fergie added.

“There was a bit of fortune attached to both goals from Liverpool’s point of view, but in an overall view of the match I feel that they were by far the better team.

“We started excellently from the first minute when Berbatov threatened and from that point on we should have gone on and established ourselves, but I do feel Liverpool produced a great performance in terms of tackling us, harassing us and forcing us into making mistakes and we didn’t cope with that well, which I feel was the source of our defeat – not coping with their tackling.

“It is difficult to say why that happened, you have to give credit them for the way they pressed the ball, but at the end of the day we should be doing better. We didn’t have anyone performing to their best on the pitch, other than Rio Ferdinand perhaps.

“Michael Carrick doesn’t look like he has broken anything but he will definitely be out for Wednesday [against Villarreal].”

Liverpool’s victory put them three points clear at the top of the Premier League table in the immediate aftermath of the match.