Torres Inspires Liverpool Win Against Manchester United
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Liverpool ended their losing win with a win over fierce rivals at Anfield.
If you had believed all of the newspapers, television and radio, this game was going to be the last with Rafa Benitez as Liverpool manager. Such was the pressure outside the club from fans and the media that if Liverpool had lost at home to Manchester United, and suffered a fifth defeat in a row, it would not only have been Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes that would be all over, but the reign of Benitez as Anfield boss as well.
Liverpool started with Fernando Torres after injury, as United welcomed Wayne Rooney back.
Both sides started well as Fabio Aurelio tested Edwin Van Der Sar with a curling free kick which he did well to claw away. In the second half Liverpool grew more confident attacking their favoured Kop end.
They found a reward for their pressure in the 65th minute. Yossi Benayoun played a perfectly timed through ball to Torres, who arrowed a powerful shot past Van der Sar into the top corner causing wild celebrations.
Michael Owen came on with 15 minutes to go, to a chorus of boos, for his first game against his old club in a United shirt. Undaunted, he set up Antonio Valencia, who smashed a shot against the crossbar.
Jamie Carragher should have been sent off for fouling Owen when through on goal but only got a yellow. Nemanja Vidic was sent off though, for a third straight game playing Liverpool, as he fouled Dirk Kuyt, and then Javier Mascherano saw red for a second yellow in the 88th minute.
The Reds sealed the 2-0 win with the second in the four minutes of injury time, when David Ngog coolly slotted low beyond the United keeper. Again the goal sparked exuberant celebrations, epitomised by Pepe Reina running the full length of the pitch to be the first to jump on Ngog.
Within the club there has been no such pressure on Benitez. The Liverpool players have always publicly backed him. The manager signed a new five-year contract in March to keep him at the club until 2014 and George Gillett has supported Benitez recently by reassuring him his job is safe.
