Park Ji-sung
Park Ji-sung, left, scores Manchester United's second goal against Liverpool at Old Trafford. Photograph: Martin Rickett/AP
It is exacting to pursue a national prize in the midst of a domestic feud. Liverpool could scarcely have known whether they were attempting to land a blow in the fight for the last Champions League place or daze opponents aiming to retain the Premier League title. All Manchester United would have known is that they were taken to the limits while seeing out a win that puts them back at the top of the table.
The stress and uncertainty was embodied in the 90th-minute incident when, after Fernando Torres had sliced his effort, the ball went to the Liverpool substitute Yossi Benayoun, who headed weakly into the hands of Edwin van der Sar. He should instead have deprived United of two of these three points. Sir Alex Ferguson's players felt the tension as they strove to call a halt to the sequences of three losses against Rafael Benítez's side.
Judgments get delicate at this stage of the campaign. In the previous weekend, the United manager had extolled the impact of Dimitar Berbatov in the 3-0 win against Fulham. The compliments sounded even then as they would have to double as consolations for the Bulgarian, who was indeed left on the sidelines against Liverpool. Ferguson would not countenance an extra centre-forward beside Wayne Rooney when so much depends on midfield in these confrontations.
Darren Fletcher of Manchester United, right, praised their battling display to beat Liverpool at Old Trafford. Photograph: John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images
Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted Liverpool's Javier Mascherano should have been sent off in the pivotal moment of Manchester United's comeback win.
Fernando Torres gave the visitors a fifth-minute lead, only for Wayne Rooney to equalise in controversial fashion. He tucked home the rebound from a penalty given for a Mascherano foul on Antonio Valencia which had started outside the area.
Ferguson said the foul warranted more than a booking: "I thought the penalty kick decision was a red card, because I do not see how anyone could have stopped Valencia from shooting. That is a goalscoring opportunity as far as I am concerned."Regarding a tight battle for the title between United, Chelsea and Arsenal Ferguson said: "We have a very experienced back four, a very experienced goalkeeper and that gives us a real outstanding chance, albeit with seven difficult matches – but we have all got difficult matches, so what does it matter? It could very well go to the wire, if you look at the run-ins for the teams."
The Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez felt there was not much between the two sides. "It was very tight, they did not have too many chances, and neither did we," he said. "With two top sides, it is always the little things which are the difference, and they were the better in these.
"After the goal, I always said it is about how you can control the game, and we could not, as we conceded early. In the second half, you could see Manchester United are a good team, but they did not have too many options and with a bit of luck, it could have been a draw."
On the penalty incident, Benítez did not feel his player had merited a red card. "I have not seen the replay, but talking to people who have said it was inside and was a penalty, but Jamie Carragher was also there, so it was only a yellow card," the Spaniard said.
Liverpool are now well behind in the battle for fourth place, but Benítez insisted the battle goes on. "It will be difficult, but we still have to fight," he said. "You can see we can win against anyone. You have to improve when you play against a top side, but we created chances."
Ferguson said: "It was very tight today and Liverpool are good at stopping you playing. But you have got to be patient and we scored a tremendous goal from Park Ji-sung, who played another vital role for us today."
Ferguson accepted the match had not been a classic. "I am sure it wasn't, but it was so intense and you could not take your eyes off it – there was no one watching on television who went for a cup of tea, that is for sure."
United's midfielder Darren Fletcher praised the way they were able to grind out victory. In a second half of few clear-cut chances, Park Ji-sung headed home the winner after an hour when he came through a crowd of bodies to finish Fletcher's superb cross.
The Scotland international hailed the character of Ferguson's side, who are chasing a record fourth successive championship. "It was a difficult game, with not much football played," Fletcher told Sky Sports 1. "You want to win the title with flowing football, but sometimes you have to grind out results and show character – that is what we did."
Fletcher maintained that the referee Howard Webb was right to give the penalty. "I definitely thought it was a foul," said the United midfielder. "He was pulling Valencia and the contact with his legs was right on the edge of the box. The keeper saved it, but Wazza is so composed that he was able to tap it in afterwards."
"The team which puts the most consistent run together will probably be champions, and we are making a good fist of it," Fletcher added.
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