While in the past I often remember Liverpool beating other top teams, like United, yet losing to minnows (Barnsley, Bradford, etc) now their failure to beat their potential title rivals is becoming a serious threat to any realistic title bid. This season we've played the rest of the big four at home and emerged with only two points - although at least we led against Arsenal and Chelsea and were unlucky to lose at least the latter.
Although they can never tell the full story, if you look at the stats - a majority of shots, shots on target and possession - then it seems we were unlucky again to lose to United. Of course, in these games timing is crucial and the fact that we'd just returned from a must-win European match, while United had been able to rest their key players may have made a crucial difference. I suppose we can't moan too much, as we made the CL hard for ourselves and, given the choice, I'd have preferred to beat Marseille. Still our luck has to change soon...
"Although they can never tell the full story, if you look at the stats - a majority of shots, shots on target and possession - then it seems we were unlucky again to lose to United. "
ReplyDeleteI think the first bit of that is key - you expect a team who are chasing a game for the whole second half (at home, never mind at home *at Anfield*) to have more possession and so on. I think United were pretty comfortable in the second half.
Sadly, we were going out so I didn't get to listen to the second half. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if we showed a lack of penetration when up against a massed defence. Nonetheless, I think the stats would've been similar for the first half - we had several good chances, including one cleared off the line, while United scored with their first real attack. All I'm saying is it's a fine line...
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