**Liverpool beat United 4-1 at Old Trafford.
** Match recap later on...and say what you want about the quality of United's defending today, but beating them 4-1 at Old Trafford is impressive any way you cut it. That's back-to-back 4-spots on two of Europe's best. Cue the Manchester United fans excusing away the game as United playing poorly and they have a game in hand anyhow and the ref was against them and who cares anyway.
FULL TIME 4-1 Liverpool. Likely won't have the impact on the title race that we would like, but a 4-1 win at Old Trafford and the double on the season is damned good.
93' Liverpool looking to get a fifth, Rio Ferdinand trying his best to help. YNWA ringing through Old Trafford like it hasn't since Rafa took over.
GOAL Andrea Dossena!!! What a flick over Van der Sar on the first touch! He is a goal-scoring machine. 4-1 for Liverpool. Suck it easy United.
90' Rooney skies a volley, and Gerrard comes off, El Zhar on. Game well in hand, and another good performance by Gerrard today.
89' Another foul on Mascherano, Ronaldo to take the free kick...straight into the wall, cleared away for a corner. No danger.
88' Ronaldo whiffs after more good work by Rooney on the cross.
85' Gerrard skies a gift in front of goal...he...well he scored earlier. Up 3-1 makes it hurt less.
83' Liverpool look game for another, United haven't done much since the Aurelio goal.
81' It is Babel for Torres, good run out by Torres, let's just hope it's not followed by an announcement tomorrow that he's out for two weeks.
80' Babel coming on, likely for Torres.
79' Torres pays tribute to the injured Xabi Alonso by trying an effort from near halfway. Not exactly the same unfortunately.
** What a free kick by Fabio Aurelio! Unreal stuff...hoping two is enough.
GOAL AURELIOOOOOO!!! Top-drawer free kick from Aurelio stuns Van der Sar!!! 3-1!!!
75' Sloppy challenge by Vidic on Gerrard, and it's red! That's twice this year that Vidic has been sent off against Liverpool. Great flick on by Kuyt for Gerrard.
74' It's Scholes, Berbatov, and Giggs on for Anderson, Park Ji Sung, and Carrick. Carrick can't leave, I don't hate him yet.
73' Looks like United is getting ready for a line change.
72' Poor giveaway in midfield by Mascherano, but Ronaldo shoots from 30 yards and poses no danger.
71' Tevez looked offside, but couldn't chest and shoot in one motion anyhow. Another good ball from Carrick.
70' Good work in the corner by Kuyt...cross is headed out. The game is 90 minutes, right?
67' Dossena on for Riera...Either him or Aurelio will probably feature as a withdrawn winger.
67' More possession for Liverpool, but it's played back to midfield and Hyypia's long ball is intended for...Van der Sar.
65' Some attacking play by Liverpool here, cross from Riera is kicked out to Lucas, whose tame volley is easily gathered by Van der Sar.
64' Skrtel is booked near midfield for stabbing Tevez in the kidney.
63' Wow...more dangerous stuff from United, Rooney knocks a Ronaldo cross back across the box, Tevez goes down but no contact from Skrtel.
62' Rooney again creates positive play for United, corner...batted out of the middle...more attack from United but no clear chances.
60' Mascherano is booked for another silly foul. Carrick's free kick is knocked back into United's half.
60' On cue, Rooney plays Park through with a great ball, but Reina gets out to clear.
59' Lucas manhandled by Carrick in midfield, attack by United doesn't go anywhere. To his credit, Rooney has been all over the place.
57' Corner leads to Reina nervously gathering on just in front of his line. Is it possible for Liverpool to be spread too thin in their own half when all their players are in said half?
54' Another free kick for United, more nervy stuff. 10 behind the ball fills me with fear.
53' Nice intervention by Aurelio to clear it away after Anderson plays in Park Ji Sung. Too much sitting back. Not a good feeling.
52' Lucas with a foul on Rooney in a dangerous spot...Liverpool cannot just sit back the way they have in the last 5 minutes, can't help but feel that they'll get punished. Saddle-crotch bounces one at Reina, no trouble there.
50' Torres looks like he picked up another knock on the ankle...hoping they're not pushing him too hard.
48' Ronaldo's cross fools Reina a bit and it rattles off the post...wouldn't that have been a gut punch.
46' Corner straight away for Liverpool...cleared out and United immediately on the break, good work from Rooney on the right, but Liverpool are able to cut it out.
** I don't know about anyone else saw it, but I thoroughly enjoyed the "You'll Never Walk Alone" karaoke on my stream.
HALFTIME Well you can't complain about the scoreline. Poor choice by Reina to challenge Tevez...after seeing the replay again it was probably a deserved penalty. Some questions about Torres' health were immediately answered with a goal...Great work to steal away from Vidic, who didn't do himself any favors, and slot past Van der Sar. That set off a spell of about 5 minutes where Torres was all over in attack, and Liverpool were the most positive for the rest of the half. Gerrard's penalty was legit, but not Evra's best moment, and probably the first penalty given to an opposing team at Old Trafford in a long time.
45'+2 Gerrard's shot is deflected out, good break for United...corner is cleared away after some slightly nervy stuff.
45'+1 Liverpool killing possession, foul on Torres. Saddle-crotch comes over to show the grass stain on his ass to Alan Wiley after diving a minute earlier.
** 3 added minutes...
GOAL Gerrard beats Van der Sar! And then kisses the camera...not my favorite celebration of all time, but a well-taken penalty. 2-1 to the good.
44' Gerrard to take the penalty...
43' Great run from Liverpool, played from Torres to Gerrard, PENALTY!!!
42' Great turn and shot by Michael Carrick. He's probably the person I hate least on Manchester United, but I'm open to being persuaded. Good stuff from him nonetheless.
41' Corner is cleared out by Gerrard, good work.
40' More action down the left, and another corner is forced. For someone who doesn't like right back, Carra has done admirably. I wouldn't imagine that today will make him any more fond of the position, though. Plenty of attacking right at him.
38' Lucas gives it away, Ronaldo wasteful with the pass. Haven't seen United play much this year, but I can't imagine they've had many spells where they've been this sloppy.
36' Kuyt chopped down by Ferdinand, Mascherano plays it out. Rio comes over to wish Dirk best of luck in recovery.
35' Good work on the left by Riera, Van der Sar gathers it safely. At the other end, Carragher gets a yellow after tripping up Tevez. Good foul for now, unless Saddle-crotch puts it in...plays it out to Rooney instead, nothing doing.
34' Another free kick in nearly the exact same spot as a few minutes before...Ronaldo in his saddle-crotch stance...deflected off the wall, Reina bobbles, but gathers it up just before it can be poked into the net by Tevez.
33' Always a good sign to see Mascherano talking to the referee.
31' Much better stuff from Liverpool, but have to be wary of United on the counter.
30' Torres just nutmegs Vidic...complete ownage. Results in a corner that was not Gerrard's best, cleared easily.
** Bouncing ball over the top that Vidic didn't go for, Torres won the challenge and broke away and finished past Van der Sar. Quality, quality finish.
GOAL Torres!!! No injury there...Vidic screws it up, but make no mistake about the quality of the finish. 1-1!
27' Big-time slow down in play, Gerrard tries to play Torres through but no chance of getting to it. Announcers seem to think that Torres' ankle is bothering him, I haven't seen it, but that would be juuust perfect.
GOAL Ronaldo with a good-looking penalty past Reina.
23' Odd...penalty...Bad choice by Reina to come out, but still think it's soft...Ronaldo to take...
21' Gerrard's free kick poses no threat...
20' Back on, Torres into the box, Vidic clears...looking good.
** Liveblog suspended until further notice, can't find a working stream.
** Frantically looking for a way to catch the action...
** Streams gone...
** Apparently Arbeloa hurt his hamstring in the pre-game.
6' Torres flashes through but is stopped up by 3 United defenders...goes down a little too easy.
5' Suppose this one won't be starting like the match against Real the other day.
3' Dangerous ball played across the floor by Ronaldo, Park strikes it but Carragher slides in front...corner is cleared away. Yeesh.
2' This time from the right, Tevez with a cross that is headed away.
2' Rooney again down the left, Carra able to break it up.
1' Rooney shimmies down the left side, corner to United...cleared with out threat.
KICKOFF Here we go! Come on you Reds!
** Arbeloa injured in warmups, Carra out right and Hyypia in the middle.
** Glad to see that it's all gray today, no gray/red/purple combo.
** Looks like Hyypia is in the starting eleven...last minute change? I'm guessing Carra on the right, Hyypia and Skrtel in the middle? Falling apart here...
** The camera pans the crowd at Old Trafford...the amount of front-running is palpable.
** Still can't find any news on Xabi Alonso's injury other than a short sentence that he picked up a knock against Real midweek. Don't remember any discussion of this post match.
** United's squad:
----------Van der Sar---------
O'Shea---Ferdinand--Vidic--Evra
Ronaldo--Anderson--Carrick--Park
------Rooney------Tevez------
Subs: Foster, Evans, Giggs, Nani, Scholes, Berbatov, Fletcher
** Liverpool's squad:
---------------Reina-------------
Arbeloa---Carra---Skrtel---Aurelio
------Lucas------Mascherano----
-Kuyt--------Gerrard------Riera--
------------Torres---------------
Subs: Cavalieri, Hyypia, Babel, El Zhar, Dossena, Insua, Ngog.
Apparently Xabi is hurt? When did this happen?