LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Robin van Persie's penalty
kick gave Manchester United a 2-1 victory over 10-man Liverpool on
Sunday, settling a heated Premier League meeting between the fierce
rivals after emotional tributes were paid to the Hillsborough disaster
victims.
Van Persie beat Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina in
the 81st minute after Antonio Valencia was fouled by Glen Johnson to
secure United's first win at Anfield since December 2007. "It has been
four or five years since we got a win here. It was an ugly win, probably
our worst performance in that time, but we will take that," United
manager Alex Ferguson said. "We didn't get going as an attacking force.
We were on the back foot for most of the first half and sometimes it
creates its own problems."
Liverpool played with 10 men for more than 50 minutes after Jonjo
Shelvey's sending-off before half time but still managed to take the
lead through Steven Gerrard's volley within a minute of the second half
starting.
Defender Rafael da Silva equalized five minutes
later, curling the ball past Reina, and Van Persie's winner ensured
second-place United prolonged winless Liverpool's worst start to a
season in more than 100 years.
"I thought the players were heroic in terms of
performance and the spirit," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said.
"They were brilliant and didn't get what they deserved." The build-up to
the match, though, had been about the fallout from the report into the
1989 Hillsborough tragedy that absolved Liverpool supporters of any
responsibility and exposed a police cover-up.
Old rivalries between Liverpool and United were put
aside before the first match at Anfield since the report was published,
with both sets of players emerging on the pitch wearing tracksuit tops
featuring the number 96, the number of Reds fans crushed to death 23
years ago.
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez and United defender
Patrick Evra ensured a reconciliatory start as they joined the other
players in a pre-match handshake. Last season Suarez refused to shake
Evra's hand when the teams played at Old Trafford after the Uruguay
international was banned for racially abusing his United rival.
For the first minute of the match three sides of
Anfield displayed mosaics featuring "The Truth," ''Justice" and "96."
The tributes seemed to inspire Liverpool's players on the pitch, with
domination from the hosts.
Once Ryan Giggs had flashed an early shot wide the
momentum was all with Liverpool as Suarez's cross-shot was stopped by
Anders Lindegaard and headed away by Jonny Evans. Gerrard drove a low
effort from Shelvey's corner into the side-netting and Suarez looped a
right-footed shot wide before the usual hostilities in the north-west
derby ignited.
Shelvey seized possession but as the ball broke
free he launched himself at Evans and was shown a red card. Rodgers,
however, said both players should have been given the same punishment
for that duel.
"Jonjo Shelvey, if he gets sent off then Jonny
Evans has to go as well," Rodgers said. "I think both players' feet are
off the floor." Ferguson was involved in a heated exchange of words as
Shelvey left the pitch.
"He was trying to blame me, I suppose," Ferguson
said. "Once he looks at it he can apologize if he likes." Shelvey,
though, mainly only apologized to the fans. "No way was I pulling out of
that tackle in a game of that importance. Im sorry," Shelvey wrote on
Twitter. "I have also apologised to sir Alex, just where I come from
people don't grass people up to get someone sent off."
Even with a numerical disadvantage, Liverpool
continued to pressure United and Suarez drew Lindegaard into a low save
from his free kick. And at the start of the second half, Gerrard
received a diverted ball in the area and volleyed home left-footed in
front of the Kop.
The lead only lasted five minutes, however, as
Shinji Kagawa laid the ball off for Rafael to curl left-footed over
Reina and in off the far post. But, even with a man down, Liverpool
pushed for a winner with Suso having a shot tipped over by Lindegaard
and Suarez continuing to trouble the United defense.
United began to take more control, though, and the
winner came from Liverpool giving away possession on the halfway line.
Daniel Agger and Johnson collided to allow Valencia to race 50 yards
into the area and, although Johnson got back, he brought down the
Ecuador winger. Van Persie drilled home despite Reina diving the right
way and getting a hand to the ball.
article source:http://www.mail.com/int/sports/soccer/1581522-van-persie-man-united-2-1-win-liverpool.html#.2002-stage-set1-9
