 Goals
Giggs 59
Giggs 70
Kewell 76
Match
Report
Manchester United showed their Champions League pedigree to claim
a third successive Premiership success over a Liverpool side now
floundering in mid-table.
Two goals from Ryan Giggs did the job in a 12-minute second-half
spell, and although Harry Kewell pulled one back, the champions
had shown Liverpool what the winning business is all about.
United's fans taunted their bitter rivals with "14 years and
still no title" and "Champions League, you're having a
laugh."
But nobody at Anfield is laughing after losing at home now to all
three of the top clubs - Arsenal, Chelsea and now their bitterest
rivals.
Liverpool controlled if not punished in the first half, but when
it mattered Roy Keane was a giant in midfield and United upped the
tempo and grabbed the points.
There was no Michael Owen when he failed to make a good enough
recovery from his ankle injury to even make the 16-man squad.
It meant Liverpool's only change from the energy-sapping slog through
the Bucharest mud on Thursday in the UEFA Cup was the return of
Vladimir Smicer on the left of midfield in place of John Arne Riise.
Manchester United, who completed a league double over their Anfield
foes last season, left the more unpredictable skills of Cristiano
Ronaldo on the bench and included John O'Shea.
The first half was a bitter disappointment. Two sides who respected
each other too much rarely got close enough to the whites of each
others' eyes to produce the rip-roaring clash this fixture usually
produced.
Liverpool had plenty of early pressure but did not give Tim Howard
a shot to save, just a hasty snap shot over from Smicer and a couple
of efforts from Harry Kewell, one a dipping 20-yard volley.
United were happy to sit deep and let Liverpool attack them, El-Hadji
Diouf getting to the line on both left and right flanks, but when
the champions broke it was quick, effective and kept Sami Hyypia
and Igor Biscan on their toes.
But for all their possession Liverpool were not moving it around
quickly enough to drag United out of their shell, the visitors'
midfield happily defending 10 yards inside their half and picking
off inaccurate passes with ease.
The pace quickened from both sides after the break, Kewell forcing
Howard into a leaping save at one end while Djimi Traore's leaping
clearance stopped Forlan's cross reaching Van Nistelrooy.
Then Dudek brought back memories of last season's howlers when
he cleared poorly on the left of his box. The ball found Ryan Giggs,
some 40 yards out, and the Welshman's instant drive back was goalbound
had not Dudek somehow managed to hurl himself back across goal to
get a glove in the way.
The breakthrough, when it came, was somewhat fortunate. On 57 minutes
Giggs swung over an angled cross which Van Nistelrooy attacked with
a run across Dudek, but he did not get a touch and the ball sailed
straight into the far corner of the net.
Liverpool brought on Florent Sinama-Pongolle five minutes later
in place of Smicer, but United were pressing now from all angles.
Roy Keane and Phil Neville were winning the midfield and pressuring
Steven Gerrard and Danny Murphy into errors.
And on 69 minutes it looked all over. Forlan crossed from the left,
Van Nistelrooy missed it and Giggs, unmarked on the right of the
box, had time to control the ball and lash it past an unprotected
Dudek.
Anthony Le Tallec immediately replaced Diouf, and with both French
teenagers on the pitch, Liverpool found some fight, and on 75 minutes
they pulled one back.
Pongolle's clever overhead kick from the bye-line was neatly side-footed
home by Kewell.
Then Pongolle got through the middle and went down in the area
but referee Graham Poll rightly waved away appeals for a penalty
with no contact made.
Murphy created a gilt-edged chance for Heskey in injury time, but
the striker fell and managed only a faint connection, the ball slipping
wide and and United were home and dry.
Press Association
Teams
Liverpool Dudek, Finnan, Biscan, Hyypia, Traore,
Diouf (Le Tallec 70), Murphy, Gerrard, Smicer (Sinama Pongolle 63),
Heskey, Kewell.
Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Diao, Riise.
Booked: Diouf.
Man Utd Howard, Gary Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre,
O'Shea, Fortune (Fletcher 83), Phil Neville, Keane, Giggs, van Nistelrooy,
Forlan.
Subs Not Used: Carroll, Ronaldo, Butt, Djemba-Djemba.
Booked: van Nistelrooy, Gary Neville.
Att: 44,159
Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).
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Audio/Video
Reaction
 The BBC's
Alan
Green gives some post match comments
Liverpool's
Gerard
Houllier on our improvement!!?!
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Other
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BBC
Sport 'Giggs haunts Liverpool'
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