England’s most successful teams go
head to head once again in the Barclays Premier League in the tea time kick-off
on Saturday with Liverpool visiting Old Trafford.
Both sides will be looking to bounce
back from humbling defeats before the break for the international fixtures,
with United surrendering a one goal lead to lose to Garry Monk’s Swansea City
for the third successive game by a 2-1 scoreline. Liverpool suffered an even
more bitter pill to swallow, losing 3-0 at Anfield to Slaven Bilic’s West Ham
United, losing star man Philippe Coutinho to a red card in the process, meaning
that the classy Brazilian will not be able to take to the field at Old
Trafford, giving United an advantage as far as the line-ups are concerned.
The matches at Old Trafford in recent
years have rarely passed without incident, talking points and goals, so without
further ado, in the latest feature of Last Three Meetings, we look back at how
the games fared in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season, David Moyes’ only season and
Louis Van Gaal’s first season at Old Trafford:
Manchester United 3-0 Liverpool –
14th December 2014
United made it six successive wins
with a clinical victory in last season’s fixture. Wayne Rooney fired past Brad
Jones, deputising for the dropped Simon Mignolet, from the edge of the area
after great wing play from Antonio Valencia.
The lead was doubled when Ashley
Young’s cross was glanced on by Robin Van Persie before Juan Mata headed home
from close range, replays suggested the Spaniard was in an offside position and
United could consider themselves lucky to extend the lead in such fashion.
The second half owed much to David De
Gea’s brilliance, foiling Raheem Sterling one on one, before tipping a Mario
Balotelli effort improbably onto the crossbar to keep the lead at two. Were it
not for De Gea continuing his outstanding form, United arguably would not have
picked up all three points despite the scoreline looking a lot more comfortable
than it was.
The result was put beyond any doubt
when a United counter-attack saw Juan Mata selflessly square the ball for Van
Persie to score in an unguarded net, after Mata deceived the defence and keeper
by feigning to shoot. It rubber stamped an emphatic victory and heaped pressure
on Brendan Rodgers.
Manchester United 0-3 Liverpool –
16th March 2014
This was one of, if not the most
crushing defeats in David Moyes’ short reign as United manager as Liverpool
emphatically dispatched the home side by outplaying them from start to finish,
rubbing salt in open United wounds.
Liverpool were rampant and deservedly
took the lead when Rafael inexplicably handled in the area after falling foul
to Luis Suarez’s trickery in the area. Captain Steven Gerrard confidently
slotted the penalty into the corner and the visitors were in front.
When Phil Jones barged into Joe Allen
moments into the second half, the visitors had their second penalty. The same
result ensued as Gerrard again converted past De Gea to give the away side
breathing space. United now had an uphill task to save the game and it never
looked like happening.
Old Trafford was stunned as a third
penalty was awarded and a red card for Nemanja Vidic, his fourth against
Liverpool, after he lunged in on Daniel Sturridge in the area. Gerrard had the
chance to make it a hat-trick of penalties but he fluffed his lines, not that
it would have a huge bearing on the outcome.
Suarez wriggled his way through to
slot in left footed past De Gea to seal the win, capping off a thoroughly
abject display from United.
Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool –
13th January 2013
Sir Alex Ferguson masterminded
another important victory over Liverpool as United continued to charge towards
their record twentieth title.
Robin van Persie was the star of the
show, as so often in his debut season in Manchester, sublimely tucking away
from neat build-up play on the left before his second half free-kick was
glanced in by a unknowing Nemanja Vidic, who diverted Patrice Evra’s header
past Pepe Reina.
Liverpool brought on new signing
Daniel Sturridge in the second half and he reduced the deficit almost
immediately, firing in past David De Gea, who parried Steven Gerrard long-range
effort.
The momentum had shifted and
Liverpool came on strongly in the dying embers, but United saw off their large
quest for an equaliser and secured all the points.
Tensions are always high in the
United versus Liverpool fixtures and, as you can see, goals are an almost
certainty. United take the overall stakes of the last three meetings by two
wins to one, let’s hope United will have extended that margin on Saturday evening.
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