A spanner in the works, a statement of intent or just starting as they mean to go on: whatever way you look at Liverpool's demolition of Manchester United at Old Trafford this afternoon, it is a landmark day for the club and indeed the Premier League.
Prior to today, United have not been beaten that heavily since a 4-1 loss to Queens Park Rangers on New Years Day 1992. The fact that it has taken over 17 years for such a result to be repeated is testiment to what a fortress Sir Alex Ferguson has made Old Trafford but so is the performance of Rafael Benitez's Liverpool side with their comprehensive win over the reigning league champions, gifting the Spaniard his 100th victory as manager of the Anfield club.
In truth there was no real turning point in the game, even after the dismissal of Nemanja Vidic in the second half. Some would argue that referee Alan Wiley's decision to award the home side a penalty on 23 minutes and Cristiano Ronaldo's due conversion would have dictated the direction of the game but, as they showed in the corresponding fixture at Anfield in September, the Reds responded with an in-form Fernando Torres giving Vidic all sorts of problems and getting the better of the defender five minutes after the home side took the lead. From there on in it was one-way traffic. Chances were few and far between but Liverpool took theirs and, with the exception of Steven Gerrard's close-range sitter, hit the back of the net three more times.
Defeating United at Old Trafford was one hoodoo Benitez had yet to accomplish but now the Liverpool manager can boast comprehensively defeating both Manchester United and Real Madrid at full strength in the space of a week. But, as was stated on this blog earlier this week, the Red machine must march onwards and upwards to the next game. Aston Villa provide a more than worthy opposition at Anfield next Sunday. Whether or not Benitez's troops can rise to the occasion for the third game running remains to be seen but if the past seven days have are an indicator of what the remainder of the season then carry on regardless.
