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| January 24, 2002 | Thursday | Ziqa’ad 9, 1422 |
Liverpool surprise Manchester United
MANCHESTER, Jan 23: Manchester United’s eight-game winning run was brought to a shuddering halt on Tuesday when midfielder Danny Murphy scored a late goal to give Liverpool a 1-0 premier league victory at Old Trafford.
Murphy struck six minutes from the end of a drab game, shooting past French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez to give Liverpool a fifth consecutive victory over their old rivals.
It was only Liverpool’s second win in 10 league games and keeps them in touch with the champions. United still top the table with 45 points, despite suffering their seventh league defeat this season, to the 43 of Newcastle United and Liverpool.
Tuesday’s victory completed another double for Liverpool, who won 3-1 at Anfield in November when United’s limp display left Ferguson fuming.
This time he picked his strongest side and, with Ryan Giggs partnering Ruud van Nistelrooy up front, United probed across the line.
But long-range efforts by Giggs, Paul Scholes and David Beckham were all they had to show for their early domination.
Liverpool, as so often this season, were content to sit deep and try to cause damage on the break. The tactic came close to paying off in the 32nd minute when Michael Owen escaped on the right but shot just wide across the goal.
Murphy hit straight at Barthez from the same position soon afterwards, while Van Nistelrooy got within a bootlace of continuing his eight-game scoring streak as Scholes’s cross flashed in front of him in first half injury time.
The second half followed a similar pattern with Liverpool soaking up United’s few forays into their box while at the other end the central defensive partnership of Gary Neville and Laurent Blanc were comfortably able to deal with a cumbersome Emile Heskey and an increasingly frustrated Owen.
Liverpool brought on Nicolas Anelka for Owen in the 76th minute and he almost broke the deadlock with his first touch, coming in at the back post after a Heskey knock-down.
John Arne Riise then met a corner with a sweet volley from outside the box but Barthez was able to punch clear.
England’s Steven Gerrard was becoming increasingly dominant and, with si