EPL 2001/02 - Liverpool vs Manchester United
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00:00Went into their meeting with Manchester United on the 4th of November 2001
00:03sitting one place above them in the Premiership standings
00:07Liverpool were one of the league's form teams too, having won 5 of their last 6 matches
00:12United meanwhile hadn't beaten Liverpool in a league game since 2 Jamie Carragher owned goals
00:17handed them success back in September 99
00:20Plenty for the watching England manager to observe
00:26Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier was recovering at home after heart surgery
00:29so team affairs were handled by assistant Phil Thompson
00:33There was one change to the Liverpool line-up that had secured a great victory
00:36over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League
00:39Sammy Hoopier came in at centre-back with Carragher moving to right-back
00:43Steven Wright, the unlucky player to miss out, he was on the bench
00:50Sir Alex Ferguson was one of Houllier's visitors in hospital
00:53showing how football rivalries could be left behind away from the playing field
00:59There were 5 changes in total to the Manchester United side
01:01who'd drawn at Lille in the Champions League
01:04Back came Fabian Bates, Gary Neville, Wes Brown, Juan Sebastian Veron
01:08and Ruud van Mistelrooy as Sir Alex shuffled his squad
01:15Graeme Paul, the man in charge, fierce desire on both sides and in the stands as well
01:20Your match commentator is Ian Darke
01:23It's United who in their change-strip who get us underway here
01:28and an early touch for Dennis Irwin who might remember being red-carded on this ground
01:34and having to miss the cup final as a result
01:36Now here's Van Mistelrooy
01:40Murphy with the challenge, he's having a fantastic season, Danny Murphy
01:45Right to Smica who got off the mark in midweek against Borussia Dortmund
01:50against Borussia Dortmund
01:55and Gary Neville with the challenge, Gary Neville another of those
01:59who was doubtful up until this morning
02:08Great noise ringing around Anfield
02:13and out comes Bates and has he got it? Yes, but only at the third attempt
02:19Now the goalkeeper has been struggling with an ear infection of late
02:25and he might have had some other problems there if he hadn't have grabbed that
02:30Half in the mouth after one or two high-profile recent errors
02:33Heskey helping this one on
02:35Heskey thinks he was fouled, Graeme Paul is not interested
02:48Owen with the little flick on
02:54This is Wes Brown
02:59Herpia with the header, Liverpool glad to have their defensive linchpin back
03:04although it's tough on Steven Reid who did well in midweek
03:07and scored against Borussia Dortmund too to be left out
03:11That's too long for Beckham
03:19Neville with the header
03:22Liverpool won this game 2-0 last season, that exercise from Steven Gerrard
03:28living long in the memory
03:34and Riese about to take this through making one or two headlines this morning
03:38saying I'll break Beckham in an interview he wasn't supposed to have given
03:42Now another long throw causing one or two problems
03:45Murphy lays it off towards Gerrard
03:47Couldn't get the shot away
03:49Hamann picking it up, Liverpool asking most of the early questions
03:54Heskey helps it on, Owen is offside
04:00A nerve-wracking start and was it offside?
04:03Is Hamann
04:06Now there may be something for Solskjaer if he's quick enough
04:09Herpia so strong
04:11What a buy he was for 2.6 million pounds
04:16Probably wouldn't get him for 5 times that now
04:26Hamann
04:34Gerrard asking quite a bit of Wladimir Smica
04:37and that's just a present for Gary Neville
04:45Van Nistelrooy, Van Nistelrooy, Van Nistelrooy
04:53Solskjaer's header, Van Nistelrooy, superbly done
04:56Oh and again, can he finish it here?
04:58It's still Van Nistelrooy, he's force wide
05:02and that's a wonderful piece of defensive work
05:07by Carragher to get that away
05:10Superb play from Van Nistelrooy at the other end
05:13Owen on the chase with Gary Neville
05:15who does well
05:18Well just for a moment there
05:20you wondered whether rude
05:21Van Nistelrooy was going to uncork that Liverpool defence
05:33Liverpool remember, haven't won the championship since 1990
05:38In fact they've never finished above Manchester United
05:41ever since, this was Van Nistelrooy's earlier run
05:44just taken a bit wide
05:51He's away by Silvestre who's being used in the centre of defence
05:55as he was against Lille in midweek
05:57and as he is sometimes used by France as well
06:02I just wonder whether that might become a more permanent role
06:05with United's well publicised defensive frailties this season
06:09Now here's Hamann
06:12Rieser
06:15Schmeitzer, good run
06:18Owen on the turn
06:19Oh what a clever effort from Michael Owen that was
06:28Lovely turn and shot from Michael Owen
06:32and that might have nestled in the corner
06:36Yes it was again, look at this
06:38this is why Owen is one of the top strikers in the world
06:41The angle looked impossible
06:43to get an effort in on goal, but he did
06:46Murphy to Owen
06:51Schmeitzer
06:54Schmeitzer
06:56Schmeitzer
06:58Schmeitzer
07:00Schmeitzer
07:02Schmeitzer
07:03Schmeitzer
07:06It's a cul-de-sac
07:09Bartosz
07:13Well I'm sure the Manchester United fans' hearts miss a beat
07:16every time Bartosz goes into one of his routines
07:19He had that nightmare evening against Deportivo
07:23in the Champions League
07:26when he just seemed to be away with the fairies really
07:29for the night
07:30I guess all goalkeepers have evenings like that
07:37Heskey
07:44Danny Murphy
07:52Hamann
07:53Schmeitzer's little flick on
07:55Owen's in here
07:56It's Michael Owen
07:57Oh what a finish
07:59What a finish he is
08:03The striker supreme
08:06gives Liverpool the lead
08:08in the 32nd minute
08:1615th of the season
08:17in all competitions
08:19for Michael Owen
08:20It was a mistake by Wes Brown
08:22and Owen needs no second invitation ever
08:30Owen
08:35Veron
08:40Solskjaer
08:41It must be said
08:42on from the start this time
08:43but very quiet
08:47There's no Andy Cole by the way
08:48for Manchester United
08:49He's not fit
08:50Van Nistelrooy
08:51has looked quite lively
08:52could do with a bit more support
08:54and a bit of by-play going on between him and Gerrard
08:56by the way
08:59at this moment
09:00is Butt
09:01Veron
09:02Butt again
09:05Fortune rather got in Veron's way
09:07but here's Quentin Fortune again
09:17Veron lovely pass through the ball
09:19to another one in Beckham
09:21but they can't unzip this Liverpool defence
09:23not often anyway
09:25very well organised
09:26Owen
09:29and that's dropping dangerously around Arisa
09:31with an important header
09:32and Gary Neville
09:36amazingly
09:38it stayed in play
09:40but there was an offside flag
09:51well one or two problems here
09:53for Manchester United
09:55engineered
09:56by this young man
09:57Michael Owen
10:02well
10:03he knew all about him anyway
10:05there are others
10:07he'll be looking at
10:08here
10:11push by Brown
10:12free kick Liverpool
10:14edge of the area
10:22and this could be danger too
10:24Arisa
10:25can crack on with the left foot
10:27as we've seen already this season
10:28the young Norwegian
10:32Murphy
10:33scored with a free kick
10:35at Old Trafford
10:36last year from this kind of range
10:42but this might suit the left footer a bit more
10:45from this angle
10:52come on
10:59come on
11:04still arguing about the 10 yards
11:06Fortune needs to watch his step
11:08it's going to be Arisa
11:10oh what a goal
11:12what a fantastic goal
11:15from John Arne Arisa
11:22that was an absolute howitzer
11:29well there's never been a goalkeeper born
11:31who could keep this out
11:35check that out
11:36and pick it out as well
11:38that is
11:40a just superlative strike
11:43one of the great goals of the season
11:45from John Arne Arisa
11:51well it wasn't the greatest touch by Ancho
11:54but Liverpool got away with it
12:05there's only a minute of added time
12:07and we've already had a half a minute of that
12:21well Veron's wondering what all that was about
12:24the ball was cannoned off him
12:28no problem says Graham Pohl
12:30who's been
12:31to be honest with you
12:32in masterful control of this so far
12:35and seems to have the
12:36respect of the players out there
12:38now then
12:42David Beckham
12:46the need is great again from him
12:50but there's no answer this time
12:51that was a long long way out
12:53even for him
12:55and amid all of that
12:56the half-time whistle's gone
12:58half-time scoreline of Liverpool 2
13:00Manchester United 0
13:19Ancho
13:40Perpia's header
13:41picked up by Hamann
13:43Perpia took a little
13:44knock in the air from Van Meestelrooy
13:47has come back so well from that
13:49cruciate injury
13:51and dearly wanted to join Manchester United
13:53and of course he has
13:58Dwight York
13:59with Robbie Fowler
14:01among the millions of pounds worth of talent
14:04not in the starting line-ups today
14:17Barthez
14:19launching it downfield
14:21now here's
14:22Juan Sebastian Veron
14:23David Beckham
14:24Nicky Butt
14:25Dennis Irwin
14:28Risa has work to do
14:30and Beckham has got Manchester United
14:33back in business
14:35there's no doubt about it
14:37it's going to be a tough game
14:39it's going to be a tough game
14:41it's going to be a tough game
14:43it's going to be a tough game
14:45that's what Manchester United were looking for
14:50and Beckham who scored for England
14:52on this ground
14:53last season
14:54now scores for Manchester United
14:57and suddenly
14:58this game opens up again
15:00it cannoned off Risa rather unluckily
15:03and Beckham
15:04presented with the ball at his feet
15:06slammed it home
15:08well is it going to be
15:10another Manchester United comeback
15:12fortune
15:20well it's exactly
15:21the way it happened at Spurs
15:23where they got the early goal
15:24right at the start of the second half
15:39Liverpool will need to
15:40keep their composure
15:44Heskey
15:45well across
15:46Sylvester
15:50but now it's 2-1
15:52looks different
15:57the bounce
15:58possibly unkind to Liverpool
16:00but United are not going to worry about that
16:04Beckham's seventh goal of the season by the way
16:09for the danger
16:10Owen
16:11has made it 3-1
16:132 for Michael Owen
16:20and United's
16:21suspect defence
16:23whatever United want to say
16:26in denial
16:27lets them down again
16:30Owen
16:31one of the smallest men on the pitch
16:33free header
16:36and Barthez
16:37came for it
16:38didn't get it
16:40he was in no man's land
16:42and Owen
16:43was there
16:44to apply the coup de grace
16:49and that goal
16:50you sense at a psychologically damaging time
16:53for Manchester United
16:55just when they must have sensed they had a chance of getting back in
16:58Dwight York meanwhile has come on the pitch
17:02fortune goes down
17:03wanted a penalty
17:04didn't get it
17:07so short
17:08is the player who's gone off
17:12there's a lot happening here Yorker
17:15and the decibel level is turned up again
17:19I told you there were goals every time these two met at Anfield
17:24and it's happened again
17:25Hamad
17:26ooh Gerrard had made a lovely run through the middle
17:29Fortune
17:47but
17:48up towards York
17:52Owen
17:54it's in
17:55York. Owen, the danger for Manchester United of course is in chasing the game now, they may leave
18:05more room for Owen's lethal pace. Well he's not having a happy time of it at the moment Fabian
18:14Barthez. And the chant from the Liverpool fans is dodgy keeper, I don't know whether Barthez's
18:25English is good enough to make that translation, for his sake I hope not.
18:31Once again today, defensive errors are costing United, but here is Veron, can he get them back into it again?
18:49Heskey, Smica. The Liverpool fans want more, they want to see United's noses rubbed in it.
19:19Can't do anything wrong at the moment, Phil Thompson, a man who knows what it's like to lift the European cup a lot, for his beloved Liverpool.
19:34Heskey, Owen's in there again, he might still finish it, not this time. And there are one or two inquests going on, Dennis Irwin,
19:47usually so calm is the man screaming at his fellow defenders, and there I think was a little moment that showed you about one or two of the frustrations
19:58about Manchester United's defending this season. Heskey helps it on again.
20:18Here's Dwight York, Nicky Butt, good tackle by Hamann, there's just a bit of a lack of conviction about United today.
20:34Heskey's pulled sweetly into space, but Wes Brown got across. I just love to know what's going through Sir Alex Ferguson's mind,
20:46what he says for public consumption about his defence, and what he's really thinking, two completely different things perhaps.
21:03It's Fortune, now York, I think there'll be a bit of rust there, as far as he's concerned.
21:10Nicely worked by Manchester United, Gary Neville, Van Nistelrooy, Butt lets it run, but there's nobody behind him.
21:30And Liverpool have room to engineer something maybe, Murphy, what a pass, what a pass for Smeetsa, and he's got past Brown, he's flooded it, Smeetsa, and he's deep into the Kop.
21:42Well Wes Brown is having an unhappy match, again, the bounce was unkind to him there, but Smeetsa goes past him, and I'm not sure he's really fully fit, Wes Brown.
22:00Now here's Beckham, good ball in, towards Van Nistelrooy, wonderful work by Anjou, it really was.
22:19Irwin.
22:30Three kick, Irwin complaining, actually scored and got sent off in the same game.
23:01Dwight York.
23:04Nicky Butt, fell at the vital moment, York's won it back again though.
23:12Veron, Van Nistelrooy, it's all tight, Beckham's made a bit of space, and well done Jersey Dudek with the help of Anjou.
23:22But United work this well, in particular Beckham.
23:31O'Shea gets it away.
23:46Scholes, given away, difficult times for Manchester United.
23:54They're still up there in the Premiership, and they're into the last 16 in Europe, but the side is not performing with that easy, slick rhythm that we've seen so often from them in recent times.
24:09And the defence is a worry.
24:24Manchester United, Manchester United, Manchester United, Manchester United.
24:35Just look at the celebrations going around Anfield now.
24:41No victory is sweeter for Liverpool than one over Manchester United, and now they've done it four times in a row.
24:49It's Liverpool 3, Manchester United 1.
24:53Yes, another sweet moment for Liverpool at Manchester United's expense.
24:58The Reds finished the season on 80 points, and in second place, only 7 behind Champions Arsenal.
25:03Their miserly defence, a key factor.
25:06Manchester United had to suffer the ignominy of finishing out of the Premiership's top two, as they came third.
25:13Their defence was a real worry for Sir Alex Ferguson.
25:16His team shipped 28 goals away from home, only two less than bottom-placed Leicester City, and that's why their season didn't live up to expectations.