What a match!

Berbatov is having one hell of a season, isn't he?

A hattrick against Liverpool, and what a hattrick it was. All three goals were difficult ones. The first, while being held back at first by Torres. The second, well, I really don't have to say anything about. And the third, climbing above a number of Liverpool defenders to power a header home.

The team played well, I thought. To be frank, a draw would have been a travesty after the way they played. VDS hardly had anything to do, but was powerless against the penalty and freekick from Gerrard. Speaking of which, I think Gerrard did really well. His penalty-taking is as consistent as anybody's and that free kick. Well, he picked a sweet spot, didn't he? Fletcher, though, should be blamed for letting the ball through. The Liverpool player next to him peeled away and that caused him to move to try to cover the opponent, but seeing the ball coming through that gap he left, he still could have blocked it. In fact, he moved towards it but at the last moment, moved ever so slightly away again!

As for the events leading up to the spot and free kicks, well there can be no doubt about the penalty and I believe it definitely was a foul for the free kick. Sir Alex thinks Torres made a meal of the second foul and tried to get O'Shea sent off. Did he? There's a slight chance, but I still think it was definitely a foul. As for arguments whether O'Shea should have been sent off as he was last man, I have to even if there wasn't a foul, I don't think Torres could have reached that ball. I think VDS would have gotten the ball a full three seconds ahead of the Spaniard, so a yellow card, yes, but not a red for O'Shea.

As for the next game, Scunthorpe should not prove too much of a threat against United, even though we all know Fergie will opt for his second stringers in the match. Bebe, apparently, may play a part. Let's hope Fergie's decision to break with tradition and sign the hitherto unknown player from Portugal without having seen him in action does not come back to bite him in the you-know-where.