The Fight Goes On

14 March 2009, the scoreboard at Old Trafford read Manchester Utd 1-4 Liverpool. It was unthinkable. Many Utd fans and even well known football punters said it was merely a bad day at the office and Utd have too much class to crumble. They would prove their quality by bouncing straight back with a convincing performance at Fulham's Craven Cottage, a ground they never lost at for the last 45 years or so.

Utd fans were in for a shock. Their team hardly showed up before a Danny Murphy penalty put them 1-0 down. Utd never recovered from losing Scholes so early on and were lucky to go into halftime trailing by just the one goal. Utd came out fighting in the second half but could not crack a resiliant Fulham defence and an equally good Shwarzer. The pressure started to show and after conceding a second goal in the 88th minute it looked like most of the fireworks had passed. Up stepped Rooney and after hurling the ball back at the referee he saw red for a second yellow. Utd looked a beaten team.

The weekend got even better for LFC when Chelsea lost 1-0 at White Hart Lane to a Modric goal early in the second half. Spurs fought hard for the 3 points after much criticised goalkeeper Gomes made a series of stunning saves. A weekend this good could only be capped by a Liverpool win. Many fans feared that our inconsistency would once again come back to haunt us with a tricky tie against Aston Villa. How wrong they would be. LFC ended up winning the game 5-0 and closing the gap to just 1 point from Man Utd albeit with a game in hand.

Liverpool started the game with a frantic pace and pushed Villa back with some stunning approach play and opened the scoring after just 8 minutes from a well taken shot by Kuyt after Alonso's initial header from a Gerrad free kick came back off the cross bar. Villa started coming back into the game and gave LFC a scare or two. Carew's header from a well placed Milner cross brought a fabulous one handed save from Reina. Soon after the mini Villa revival they found themselves 2-0 down. Reina was the architech of the goal as he pumped the ball up field with pin point accuracy and picked out Riera who smashed a stunning volley past the helpless Friedle. LFC put the game beyond Villa with a third goal before halftime after Riera went on a run into the box looking to take on Reo-Cocker and was brought down. Gerrard did the honours and sent Friedle the wrong way.

Early in the second half Gerrard had the opportunity to extend the lead after Kuyt was brought down on the edge of the box. He calmly stroked the ball into the net to make if 4-0. Liverpool were coasting and Rafa decided to rest both Alonso and Arbeloa who were returning from injuries. On came Rafa's favourite, Lucas and a welcomed return for Agger. Torres latched on a through ball and rounded Friedle only to be up ended and the American saw red for his troubles. Gerrard slotted the ball into the back of the net and once again sent the keeper the wrong way thus completing a stunning set piece hat-trick.

The title race is definetly back on and for once it might look like Utd are the ones who succumb to the pressures of leading the pack into the business end of the season. Fergie should be worried.