Prior to kick-off there was tension in the air as both clubs desperately tried to emphasise that the atmosphere should be passionate, not poisonous and that the headlines the following day should be celebrating a footballing spectacle, not decrying an off-field debacle. As expected, Patrice Evra was roundly booed and jeered by the home supporters but, thankfully, they never crossed the line and nothing worse than what Kenny Dalglish later described as "friendly banter" occurred.
Dalglish's first match in charge upon his return last January was at Old Trafford in an FA Cup third round tie that Liverpool lost 1-0 but deserved more from, as poor refereeing decisions cost us dearly. Arguably, the Reds' performance this time around only justified a draw but, for all their possession, United lacked Liverpool's cutting edge up front (that's the first time I've typed that this season!) and football is ultimately about putting the ball in the back of the net not passing in neat little triangles for 90 minutes.
The statistics heading into the clash sent mixed messages. In the FA Cup Liverpool had only beaten their visitors three times out of 16, suffering defeat 9 times. Yet, the Merseysiders had never lost an FA Cup game at Anfield with King Kenny in charge and were also looking to maintain their four-match unbeaten home run against Alex Ferguson's side.
The opening stages were relatively even, with both sides jostling for the ascendancy. The first chance of the match fell to Maxi five minutes in. The Argentine winger stung De Gea's fingers with a right-footed drive. It was the 21-year old keeper's first and only half decent save as he went on to endure a torrid afternoon. His Spanish counterpart in the opposing goal then comfortably saved from Ryan Giggs' drive, before the Red sea parted in front of Antonio Valencia as he ran right through the middle of a host of Liverpool defenders and fired a shot past Reina and onto the post.
It was a lucky escape for the hosts, who quickly responded by taking the lead moments later. After Smalling had headed Enrique’s goal-bound long-range effort behind, Gerrard whipped in the resulting corner and Agger rose highest to head home from close range.
Gerrard could have doubled the home side's lead soon after, as Carroll did well to set the skipper free in space on the right. Unfortunately, the number 8 squandered our last real chance of the first half, blasting harmlessly over when well placed to test De Gea.From that point on, United dominated the game, with golden oldies Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes monopolising possession in the middle and pulling the strings for the visitors. Nevertheless, they failed to seriously test Reina and the Reds' backline remained resolute. Disappointingly, though, five minutes before the break Enrique made a fatal error, losing the ball and then being out-muscled by Rafael, who pulled the ball back to Park from the by-line. The South Korean playmaker fired home first time to capitalise on some poor defending and equalise for the Red Devils.
The second half proceeded in much the same fashion, United controlling possession yet failing to carve out many chances while Liverpool defended well but often left Carroll to plough a lone furrow up front. Just before the hour mark a long punt up field had Reina rushing off his line. Worryingly, he missed the ball and Welbeck appeared to be in. Fortunately, the magnificent Martin Skrtel, who was on top form once again, covered the keeper and cleared at the critical stage.
The pivot of the match then came when Dalglish made two substitutions, replacing Carragher and Maxi with Kuyt and Adam respectively. The latter helped regain control of the middle of the park, particularly after Scholes had been substituted, while the former grabbed the late winner.
On 66 minutes Gerrard beat the wall with a free kick after Rafael had been penalised and booked for deliberately blocking Downing. De Gea did well to move across his goal and make a save. Similarly to earlier, Reina was then forced to act as a sweeper and head clear from the edge of the box with five minutes remaining after Skrtel made a rare mistake and lost a high ball in the sun.
Heading into the closing stages, a draw and a replay appeared likely, however there was always a sense that, given the backdrop to the tie, a dramatic ending could be in store. To the Reds' delight, that was the case and the drama occurred in front of the Kop. Carroll flicked Reina’s long punt up field on into the path of Kuyt. The Dutchman, who sprinted past the poorly positioned Evra, latched onto the ball and fired past De Gea, as Anfield erupted in jubilation.
It was delightfully terrible defending from Evra and De Gea and the perfect way for Kuyt to grab the winner for Liverpool. He almost added another immediately after, as Carroll's header rebounded off the woodwork and fell to the number 18, whose shot fell agonisingly wide of the post.This superb victory rounded off a thrilling week of domestic cup action, which has provided the ideal response to last weekend's woeful performance at the Reebok Stadium. Both games saw Anfield rocking, Liverpool performing well and proving that they can compete with the top clubs in the country.
Hopefully these victories can inspire an epic cup double and, in the long term, help Liverpool to compete at the highest level week in, week out in the bread and butter of the League.
YNWA
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