Robin
van Persie's late penalty secured Manchester United's first Anfield win
since December 2007 against 10-man Liverpool on an emotional afternoon
on Merseyside.
The
hosts played 51 minutes with 10 men after Jonjo Shelvey's sending-off
but still managed to take the lead through Steven Gerrard's volley
seconds after the interval.
Spot on: Van Persie converts a late penalty to give United the victory over their fierce rivals
Dutch of class: The £24million summer signing wheels away in celebration after his late spot-kick
Match facts
Liverpool: Reina,
Kelly, Skrtel, Agger (Carragher 80), Johnson, Gerrard, Allen, Shelvey,
Borini (Fernandez Saez.46), Suarez, Sterling (Henderson 66).
Subs not used: Jones, Jose Enrique, Sahin, Assaidi
Goal: Gerrard 46
Booked: Reina
Sent off: Shelvey
Man Utd: Lindegaard, Da Silva, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Carrick, Giggs, Valencia, Kagawa (Hernandez 81), Nani (Scholes 46), van Persie.
Subs not used: De Gea, Anderson, Welbeck, Cleverley, Buttner.
Goals: Rafael 51, Van Persie 81 (pen)
Booked: Scholes, Van Persie
Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire)
However,
Rafael equalised soon after and Van Persie, one of three United players
to miss from the spot this term, scored his fourth goal in as many
games against the Reds - although three of those had come for former
side Arsenal - nine minutes from time.
In
the end it was something of a relief the talking points were all
generated on the pitch as Liverpool marked their first home match since
the publication of the Hillsborough Independent Panel's report which
exonerated fans in relation to the 1989 disaster.
Luis
Suarez and Patrice Evra shook hands in a show of unity before the game -
the Liverpool forward had refused to shake the United defender's hand
in the league meeting between the sides at Old Trafford in February,
having previously been found guilty of racially abusing Evra in the
corresponding fixture at Anfield last season.
Thankfully
there were none of the distasteful chants which have marred this
fixture for years, although that did not mean there was not an edge to
the game.
Evra
was overlooked for the captaincy - some say diplomatically - in the
absence of Nemanja Vidic so it was Ryan Giggs who released 96 red
balloons with Gerrard prior to kick-off.
Seeing red: Liverpool's Jonjo Shelvey was sent off for his foul on Jonny Evans
Red mist: Jonny Evans is flattened as Shelvey protests his innocence to ref Mark Halsey
The
result left Liverpool rooted in the bottom three as their worst start
to a campaign for a century continues whereas United maintained their
usual progress moving up to second.
It
was harsh on Brendan Rodgers' side, who continued to take the game to
their rivals despite being short on numbers as they desperately looked
for their first league victory of the campaign.
Squaring up: Shelvey gives Rio Ferdinand his thoughts as the players surround Halsey
You said what? Sir Alex Ferguson exchanges words with Jonjo Shelvey
United
may have left Anfield wondering how they managed to win having hardly
threatened in attack and failed to dominate midfield until the final
quarter but those concerns will have been of little consequence.
For
the first minute of the match three sides of Anfield held up The Truth,
Justice and 96 mosaics as representatives of the Hillsborough victims'
families watched on from the directors' box.
Opener: Steven Gerrard fired home after being left unmarked in the box
Also
present, for the first time since being sacked in May, was former
manager Kenny Dalglish - intrinsically linked with the tragedy having
played a major role in the aftermath during his first spell in charge.
What
he saw in the first half would have been very familiar as for most of
last season his sides dominated at home without scoring. Once Giggs had
flashed an early shot wide the momentum was all with the hosts as a
Suarez cross-shot was stopped by Anders Lindegaard and headed away by
Jonny Evans under pressure from Fabio Borini.
Kop that: Gerrard kissed the badge as he wheeled away to celebrate his goal
That's for you: Gerrard pointed to the heavens on the day they remembered the Hillsborough victims
Gerrard
drove a low effort from Shelvey's corner into the side-netting and
Suarez looped a right-footed shot wide before a match which, possibly
because of the all the pre-match commemorations, had lacked the usual
hallmarks of a north-west derby ignited. Shelvey robbed Giggs in
midfield but as the ball broke free he launched himself at Evans and the
inevitable outcome was a red card.
The
20-year-old midfielder, who scored twice in Thursday's Europa League
victory at Young Boys, departed down the tunnel having exchanged heated
words with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Jumping for joy: Liverpool fans savour Gerrard's goal after the first-half interval
Even
with a numerical disadvantage Liverpool continued to pressurise United
and Suarez drew Lindegaard into a low saw from his free-kick.
The
visitors would have been pleased to reach the interval with their goal
intact but it took just 50 seconds after the restart for that to
change.
Stunning: Manchester United's Rafael guides the ball past Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina
Leveller: Rafael celebrates his goal with team-mate Robin van Persie
Good lad: Rafael shows his pleasure at equalising for the visitors
Second-half
substitute Suso, making his Premier League debut three days after his
first-team bow in Switzerland, saw his cross half-cleared to Glen
Johnson.
A
tackle from Paul Scholes, on for Nani at half-time, succeeded only in
diverting the ball towards Gerrard who volleyed home left-footed in
front of the Kop. The Reds captain, whose 10-year-old cousin Jon-Paul
Gilhooley was the youngest victim of the Hillsborough disaster, whirled
away pointing both arms to the sky in celebration and remembrance.
Flying away: Van Persie celebrates as Gerrard looks dejected at the final whistle
It
was short-lived, however, as within five minutes United were level when
Shinji Kagawa laid the ball off for Rafael to brilliantly curl
left-footed over Jose Reina and in off the far post. Rodgers'
determination not to just shut up shop and settle for a draw was
reflected in the approach of his team who made light of the fact they
were a man down with Suso having a shot tipped over by Lindegaard and
Suarez continuing to trouble the visitors' defence.
But
as the match entered the final 20 minutes United began to take more
control, although their winner came from their opponents giving away
possession on the halfway line.
Daniel
Agger and Johnson collided to allow Antonio Valencia to race 50 yards
into the area and although Johnson got back he could only bring down the
Ecuador international. Van Persie drilled home - although Reina went
the right way and almost made the stop.
Laurent Koscielny earned Arsenal a
deserved point at the Etihad Stadium with a late equaliser as Manchester
City's stuttering start to the season continued.
The Gunners had much the better of the
first half but could not make their dominance count and Joleon Lescott
headed the hosts in front from a 40th-minute corner.
Match facts
Man City:
Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany,Lescott, Clichy, Javi Garcia, Toure , Silva,
Sinclair (Rodwell 46), Aguero (Balotelli 85), Dzeko (Tevez 68).
Subs Not Used: Pantilimon, Kolarov, Barry, Nastasic.
Booked: Javi Garcia.
Goals: Lescott 40.
Arsenal:
Mannone, Jenkinson, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Ramsey, Diaby
(Giroud 71), Arteta, Cazorla, Gervinho (Coquelin 90), Podolski (Walcott
72).
Subs Not Used: Martinez, Andre Santos, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Djourou.
Goals: Koscielny 82.
Att: 47,318
Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).
That looked like being the way it would
stay as Arsenal struggled to find a way to goal, but Koscielny proved
the unlikely hero with an unstoppable shot eight minutes from time.
Both sides wore black armbands to
remember Greater Manchester Police officers Fiona Bone and Nicola
Hughes, who were killed on Tuesday, and all sides of the ground stood
for a period of applause before kick-off.
City's defence of their Premier League
title had consisted of two scrappy wins and two draws, while they
suffered a last-gasp defeat by Real Madrid in the Champions League on
Tuesday.
They were at least boosted by the return
of Sergio Aguero for the first time since the opening weekend of the
season after a knee injury, and he had the first real chance of the game
in the 14th minute with a curling shot that was pushed away by Vito
Mannone.
It was Arsenal who were looking the more
dangerous, though, cutting swathes through City's midfield, and had it
not been for a truly awful touch from Gervinho as he ran on to Aaron
Ramsey's through ball, they may well have been ahead.
Come in No 6: Koscielny wheels away in celebration after netting for the Gunners
The Gunners were taking on their
opponents with real pace and in the 24th minute Carl Jenkinson did well
down the right and pulled the ball back to Lukas Podolski, who skied his
shot well over the bar. Gervinho then fired just wide with a shot that
rippled the side-netting and drew cheers from the section of Arsenal
fans down the other end who thought it had sneaked in.
Still they had not really tested Joe
Hart, though, and they were made to pay in the 40th minute when Lescott,
who had been surprisingly left out against Madrid, headed in David
Silva's corner.
Head boy: Lescott scores for Manchester City with 39 minutes gone
Net gains: Arteta propped up the post but failed to stop Lescott's header from finding the net
Mannone, playing in place of the injured
Wojciech Szczesny, certainly did not cover himself in glory, attempting
to plough through a ruck of defenders and getting nowhere near the
ball.
City could even have been two ahead at
the break but Mannone partially redeemed himself with a fingertip save
from Edin Dzeko's curling shot.
Blue is the colour: Lescott celebrates after scoring with six minutes remaining before the interval
City boss Roberto Mancini addressed his
midfield issues by bringing on Jack Rodwell for the disappointing Scott
Sinclair at the start of the second half, and immediately there was more
dynamism about the home side.
Aguero fired over at the back post and
was then screaming for a penalty when he thought he had been tripped by
Koscielny. The Argentinian stayed on his feet and managed to get his
shot away, which was blocked by Kieran Gibbs, and that probably counted
against him as referee Mike Dean waved away the claims.
Silva service: The Manchester City winger takes on Abou Diaby and Aaron Ramsey
Arsenal were still passing the ball
around neatly without really looking like scoring, and Gervinho's radar
was off target again as he blasted high and wide in the 66th minute.
Dzeko was then replaced by Carlos Tevez
while Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger made a double change, Theo Walcott and
Olivier Giroud coming on for Lukas Podolski and Abou Diaby. Arsenal were
pressing hard but City almost killed the game off on the break in the
80th minute, Yaya Toure playing in Aguero for a shot that was smartly
stopped by Mannone.
That proved to be a crucial moment as
Arsenal went up the other end and Santi Cazorla drew the first real save
out of Hart with a fine shot from the edge of the box.
The Spaniard took the resulting corner
and Lescott could only divert the ball to the feet of Koscielny, who
smashed the ball into the top corner. It was no more than Arsenal
deserved but they had Mannone to thank for keeping them level moments
later as he saved Vincent Kompany's acrobatic overhead kick before
Aguero shot inches wide.
The Gunners had the final chance but
again Gervinho's finish did not match his approach play, the Ivorian
firing well over from 15 yards out.
You might also like:
%20(1).jpeg)
.jpeg)
No comments:
Post a Comment