Compelling Soccer

A belated start to this live blog. We start five minutes in, but the score is still level. I've seen a good run by Yossi Benayoun and now beachballs hitting the field. Stay classy Man U fans.

9 min: Paul Scholes? Really? He's still alive? Between him and Giggs, there certainly appears to be some degree of loyalty for Sir Alex and his guys.

11 min: Benayoun looks strong so far. He makes another good run, though his through ball is a little long. Torres less so, but hopefully he'll get his legs under him soon.

13th min: No sooner do I say that then Torres trips over his own feet. But the assistant ref screws up and gives Liverpool a free kick. Nothing comes of it as Man U tries to counter.

14th min: Good counter by Man U. Scholes, Giggs and Evra combine on the Liverpool right. But good defending by Benayoun forces Evra to play it out for a Liverpool throw.

15th min: This time, Evra gets Torres for real. His slide tackle is late, gives up the free kick and gets a yellow. It's from about 28 yards way.

Aurelio takes it beautifully, Edwin Van der Sar makes an amazing save, then gets to Kuyt's rebound from a poor angle. Liverpool bat it around the box, but can't put it away. It comes to a corner, but the Reds can't do anything with it.

18th min: Wow. Lucas takes it off Scholes and he leads a quick strike down the other side. He feeds Kuyt who takes a good shot. The problem is it ends up in just the wrong place, inches from the goal and inches from a diving Torres.

20th min: A great build up ends with Valencia sending it across for a great header for Rooney. Reina is equal to the task and catches it clean.

26th min: Not much in it right now. Mascherano had a shot go well over the bar and Liverpool thinks that Man U is beating up on Torres. Anti Football at it's finest.

29th min: People playing FIFA 10 have been complaining about the pressure the defense puts on you. I was inclined to agree, until I watched this one. Both teams are pressuring heavily.

31st min: Best sustained possession I've seen from United thus far. They haven't been able to turn it into a goal chance yet though.

34th min: Michael Carrick tries to take into box and gets taken out by a Jamie Carragher slide tackle. It's questionable and if the referee had awarded a penalty, Carragher couldn't have had anything to say about it.

36th min: Benayoun does great work again. He sends a perfect cross into Aurielo who gets it down. But Van Der Sar is there. On the other side United counter but Berbatov takes down Insua. He deserved a foul, but probably not the yellow card he received as well.

40th min: Man U tests the Liverpool defense, but the central backs are up to it. Or at least they slow Berbatov down enough so that his touch goes to Reina.

41st min: Interesting, the United subs are warming up.

42nd min: Ouch- Benayoun goes up for a header and gets hit with Evra in the back of the head and the ball in the face. After a minute to shake off the haze he's back up.

45th min: Torres is getting roughed up a bit. Free kick awarded but Liverpool can't do much with it.

45th min+: On the free kick Kuyt was getting grabbed and held by Berbatov. Could have been a penalty, but that just even the score for the two sides.

45 min+: United holds possession but can't finish as Liverpool clears as the half time whistle goes. Carragher and Giggs complain to the ref and Sir Alex chats up the lineman. Love that gamesmanship.

Halftime: 0-0

Liverpool got the better of the play in the first half but don't have a goal to show for it. Benayoun was the best player on the field for either side but Torres isn't having the impact the team would like. He's been working hard, but his touch looks rusty. On the other side we've seen little of Rooney outside of his header. Berbatov has been much more involved in the action. Evra and O'Shea looked to be struggling at times, as has Glen Johnson for Liverpool. We'll see if that comes back to bite either side in the second half.

2nd Half Start: And away we go.

48th min: Back and forth with few chances early. But a long ball to Benayoun puts pressure on Evra and forces him to play it out for a corner. Aurelio takes it but Van Der Sar sends it out with a punch.

50th min: Liverpool gets sustained pressure but can't generate a good chance. Then after United clear, Evra commits a bad turnover. That frees Benayoun and Kuyt to make a run. Kuyt had a bad angle so he plays it behind Benayoun. It gets batted up in the air and Benayoun tries a bicycle kick. He gets Vidic near the face and is called for a foul.

52nd min: Torres is fouled again. The free kick is played into the box, but Agger's deflection wouldn't have done much good as there were about four players off side.

54th min: Kuyt frees Torres near midfield, who looks to have been offside. He goes wide and tries to cross it to Aurelio on the back post. It's too long though. Liverpool attacks again but Torres this time is called off. The Reds need to score here; they can't control play much better than they have.

56th min: Man U counters down the left. Rooney tries to make a move and is fouled by Lucas. Free kick from the top left corner of the box. Giggs' free kick is delivered well enough but Berbatov is offside.

61st min: After Valencia wins a free kick on the wing Giggs delivers it to Carrick on the back post. The header is sent into Glen Johnson's chest and out for a corner. The corner is sent back to Giggs who takes it again. Finally a shot is sent in but Reina gets to it. On the ensuing throw, Reina collides with Vidic. No harm, no foul.

64th min: Much better for Man U over the past five minutes.

65th min: GOAL!!

68th min: Can United equalize? A free kick is awarded from straight on from about 30 yards away. Rooney drives it straight into the wall.

70th min: Benayoun and Lucas lead a break out with Lucas setting to Kuyt. Kuyt tries to feed it back but Lucas can't get to it. Liverpool regain possession and Mascherano takes an ill advised shot. He gts a break and it goes out for a corner. Aurelio takes it and Lucas puts it over the bar.

Michael Owen is warming up for United.

72 min: Mascherano picks up a yellow for a poor sliding tackle. Giggs free kick is caught by Reina.

74th min: Berbatov is off and Owen is on. He's greeted by boos. In addition, Nani is in for Paul Scholes.

75th min: Vidic picks up a yellow. He fouls Torres but then has some extracurricular stuff after the play which is is the reason for the card.

77th min: Valencia leads the break up the wing for United. His cross is misplayed by the Liverpool defense and falls to Nani. His shot is caught by Reina.

O'Shea plays it to Rooney who takes a shot from a good position. But the shot is blocked.

79th min: Benayoun threatens again on the right side. He dribbles too far though and is dispossessed in the box. Should have shot.

80th min: Let the questions begin; Rafa makes his first sub. David Ngog comes on. Torres is heading off. Unless Torres is hurting, I don't like pulling him off. He's always a threat to the defense and as a result opens things up for others.

84th min: Giggs plays it to Owen who manages to somehow play it to Valencia at a poor angle. But Valencia puts it on goal... literally as it hits the crossbar and goes out for the Liverpool throw. Owen, Owen, Owen...

87th min: Tense moments; Nani plays it on a backheel to Evra but his cross goes for not. Benayoun leads the break but gets slowed and stopped by the United midfield. That leads to a break. A through ball for Owen results in Carragher ripping him down for a yellow. He wasn't free and clear, so no red. The goal kick is taken by Nani but hit right at Reina.

United is playing well at the moment. Will they get another last second equalizer?

89th min: A long ball counter is played; Vidic was caught flatfooted and impedes Kuyt when he would have been free. That's a second yellow for Vidic and he's sent off. It was deserved.

90th min: Rooney makes a good run but Johnson makes a great tackle. United wins another free kick and Giggs will take it.

Btw, five minutes of extra time. It's United playing, so should we expect anything else?

92nd min: The kick is batted around the box. Rooney's header goes high.

Skrtel is coming on for Benayoun. Offense for defense.

94th min: Mascherano makes a dangerous play going in hard against Van der Sar. That's his second yellow and he's gone.

96th min: Liverpool counters and gets a two on one break. Kuyt plays it to Ngog who beats Van der Sar. 2-0!!!!

And that's all that she's going to write. Liverpool is going to get a much deserved result.

Full Time: Incredible performance by Liverpool. They clearly outplayed United today. Torres shows how much he means to the side and Benayoun is really damn good. Third straight win over United as the four game loss streak ends.