MANCHESTER, England (AP) – Manchester United heaped more misery on Liverpool by beating their great rival 3-0 in Premier League football today, earning a sixth straight win to underline the transformation in fortunes of England’s two biggest clubs.
Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata – from an offside position – scored to give United a 2-0 lead at half-time and Robin van Persie added the third in the 71st minute at Old Trafford.
While third-place United remained eight points behind leader Chelsea to maintain their unlikely title challenge, Liverpool are mid-table and struggling to recreate the form that took the team to a runner-up finish last season.
The score was harsh on Liverpool, with United goalkeeper David de Gea producing a string of brilliant saves to deny Raheem Sterling and substitute Mario Balotelli.
The visitors were also unlucky that Mata was not signalled offside when he headed home to make it 2-0 in the 40th, puncturing Liverpool’s bright start.
“They were much more clinical when they needed to be,” Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said. “For their goalkeeper to get man of the match tells you everything.”
But these are worrying times for Rodgers. He is lacking a clinical finisher in the absence of the injured Daniel Sturridge, his defence is in a mess and he has doubts about his first-choice goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who was dropped here for Brad Jones. It ended a miserable week for Liverpool, which were eliminated from the Champions League on Tuesday.
Without hitting anywhere near top form, United are perhaps making the title race a three-team fight. Louis van Gaal’s side has no European or English League Cup commitments to clog up their schedule this season.
