Daniel Sturridge marked his 24th birthday with the winning goal as
Liverpool beat Manchester United 1-0 on Sunday and Anfield celebrated a
significant anniversary in its auspicious history.
Bill Shankly, the legendary manager who put Liverpool on the world
football map, was born 100 years ago on Monday, which made the timing of
this success, in such a heated local rivalry, all the more poignant.
The win also marked the first time in 19 years that Liverpool have
opened a Premier League campaign with three consecutive victories and
they are already five points clear of their old rivals United.
Liverpool's players took just three minutes to respond to the occasion,
after Sturridge capitalised on a mistake by Ashley Young and won a
corner via the challenge of Rio Ferdinand.
Steven Gerrard's right-wing corner found Daniel Agger, who had lost
Ferdinand too easily, and his goalward header was turned in, superbly,
by Sturridge with a flicked header on the six-yard line.
It was a goal-poacher's finish, Sturridge's third in as many league
games, and one that will have impressed watching England manager Roy
Hodgson as he prepares to name his sides for the forthcoming World Cup
qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine.
It was also a goal that enlivened one of the more combustible fixtures
on the Premier League calendar and served to underline the challenges
facing United's new manager David Moyes.
Robin van Persie almost produced an instant response for the champions,
who were missing Wayne Rooney due to a head injury, but his overhead
kick, from Patrice Evra's set-piece header, cleared the crossbar.
Indeed, United might have faced a greater second-half hill to climb as
they struggled to cope with an energetic, pressing approach from
Liverpool that did not slacken as the half proceeded.
Philippe Coutinho and Gerrard each had shots from outside the area that
did not offer David de Gea too stern a test in the United goal, but
which showed Liverpool's growing confidence.
And United's mounting frustration was summed up in the closing stages of
the opening period when three of their players – Tom Cleverley, Michael
Carrick, and Van Persie – were booked for petulant fouls.
Van Persie and Martin Skrtel were also involved in an injury-time
altercation after they competed for a cross, with Gerrard becoming
involved before referee Andre Marriner intervened.
Iago Aspas headed over early in the second half but, having been forced
to bring on Antonio Valencia for the injured Phil Jones late in the
first half and switch from 4-4-2 to 4-2-3-1, United finally started to
show a sense of urgency.
Van Persie's powerful shot was deflected behind by Skrtel and Young was
denied by Glen Johnson's block before Danny Welbeck and the United bench
appealed for a penalty after slight contact from Aspas in the area.
Ryan Giggs glanced a corner from substitute Nani directly into the arms
of Simon Mignolet, shortly before being replaced by Javier Hernandez,
but an appalling back-pass from Nemanja Vidic forced De Gea to sprint
from his line to beat Johnson to the ball.
Nani forced Mignolet into his first serious save of note, after 76
minutes, with a powerful strike and Hernandez also tested the Liverpool
goalkeeper's alertness with a snapshot from just outside the area.
Hernandez's late through ball slid in Van Persie, who missed the target
from a promising position, and deep in added time, Raheem Sterling
almost capped the perfect afternoon for the home side with a terrific
blast that De Gea tipped over.