Post-match reflections: A bad day for Dalglish as Manchester United outclass Liverpool

Manchester United go top of the Premier League, while Liverpool alienate yet more neutrals…

Photo courtesy of WellOffside.com

Relive the game with our Premier League coverage of Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool as it happened.

* The overriding story amongst everything that went on is that Liverpool were outclassed in every sense of the word. After an even half-hour, Liverpool were mostly outplayed for the remainder of the game, with only poor United finishing preventing from the game having been won well before Suarez’s goal.

* This was perhaps Stewart Downing’s most comprehensively ineffectual performance yet, barely appearing in the game and making Liverpool fans wish he hadn’t when he did. Fitting that his last action was to clatter the ball into touch – allowing him to be replaced by the clearly superior Bellamy.

* Andy Carroll didn’t have his best day either, doing more to hinder than assist his team’s pursuit of an equaliser save for a couple of knock-downs. All in all, not the best day for defenders of Dalglish’s transfer policy.

* United’s foremost question has become clearer since Paul Scholes’ return  - before and during every game they should be asking how they can get him on the ball more. The rest appears to have worked wonders for him – since coming back he has been one of the best players in the country, and as usual, the more he was involved today, the more the balance of play shifted towards the home side.

* There’s a time and a place to be arresting people inciting hatred or discrimination, but surely satire has to be exempt. Not so in the eyes of Greater Manchester Police and United’s ground staff, who saw fit to confiscate all copies of the popular Manchester United fanzine Red Issue. It’s hard to see what this sort of thing really achieves.

* Upon quiet contemplation, United could scarcely be more pleased with how today turned out. Cleverley’s return, three points gained, first place retaken, even if only temporarily, commanding and mature performances from Evans and Rafael, and a return to goalscoring form for Wayne Rooney.

* Liverpool really do have a lot of soul-searching to do after this. There’s a siege mentality and there’s making yourselves universally loathed. Dalglish’s comments on the matter should make for interesting reading.