Liverpool defeats Manchester United 1-0 behind a early goal from Daniel Sturridge
By Mike Dyce
Aug 4, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; A ball lies on the field before the first half of the Internazionale and Valencia match at Metlife Stadium. Valencia won the match 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Liverpool and Manchester United clashed in the premier game of the weekend. These two teams are the English Premier League’s winningest clubs. Liverpool has 18 Premier League titles but haven’t won the English league since the 1989-90 season. Meanwhile Manchester United has collected 13 titles since then for a total of 20 championships.
Liverpool with second year manager Brendan Rogers has started the season well. They’ve won their first two games and are currently near the top of the table. Manchester United hasn’t started the season as well, they’ve won one game and tied another. The game got underway with an emotional tribute to Bill Shankley on what would be his 100th birthday.
Steven Gerrard sent in a corner kick in the 4th minute that Daniel Sturridge headed in. That gave Liverpool an early lead to work with and it was hard to tell they were missing last year’s leading scorer Luis Suarez.
Tom Cleverley took a bad challenge on Coutinho and gave them the free kick about 5 yards out of the left-center edge of the 18-yard box. Coutinho took the kick but sent it over the bar. Steven Gerrard was standing there lined up as well and could’ve taken it but didn’t.
Manchester United was frustrated and got 3 yellow cards (Robin van Persie, Cleverley and Michael Carrick) in 7 minutes. Liverpool’s Iago Aspas, did get a yellow card as well in that span.
The game got chippier when Robin Van Persie, who already has a yellow card shoved Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel. As van Persie was pleading his case to the referee, and risked a double yellow, Steven Gerrard confronted him. Van Persie must have said something because Steven Gerrard quickly took a step and got in his face. After they were separated they got in eachother’s faces again as the refs tried to restore order, all of this happening in stoppage time of the first half.
When half was finally called, refs talked to Gerrard and a Manchester player, likely telling them to inform their teams to keep in under control. The crowd was going nuts however and the excitement in Anfield was at a fever pitch.
Manchester United was on the attack early in the second have and got multiple corner kicks in rather quick succession of one another. Liverpool was able to weather the storm though.
In the 58th minute Danny Welbeck falls down along the end-line in the 18-yard box. Manchester United players pleaded their case to the referee wanting a penalty kick, but he declined to give them one calling it a goal kick instead.
The rest of the second half was basically Manchester United pressing and getting multiple attempts and Liverpool countering happy to get in their offensive third and play keep away.
Their strategy paid off, the Liverpool squad won the match 1-0 and that means they’ve won all 3 games this season and sit atop the Premier League table with 9 points. It is the first time Liverpool has won their first 3 games since 1994.