There were moments to savour. There was the poignancy of Steven Gerrard pointing to the heavens, to his 10-year-old cousin and the 95 other victims of Hillsborough, as he celebrated his goal in front of the Kop.
There were the tributes to the Hillsborough families before kick-off, and the applause from Manchester United fans at the conclusion of You’ll Never Walk Alone. There was the sight of Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra shaking hands. Not to mention the first sighting of Kenny Dalglish at Anfield since his dismissal in the summer. Dalglish understands as well as anyone that never is football more important than life or death.
A mindless minority forgot that, trading in the insults this game was supposed to bring to an end. After the final whistle, as the stadium began to empty, United fans - claiming they were provoked by two Liverpool supporters - were also heard singing sickening chants.
But at Anfield there was also a football match, and within the context of football, in its sporting isolation, there was anger and bitterness, drama and cries of injustice, and what remained an entertaining game.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers felt his team were unfortunate. In his eyes Mark Halsey was no more justified in dismissing Jonjo Shelvey after 39 minutes than he was in awarding United what proved a decisive penalty for what he considered the softest of challenges by Glen Johnson.
Liverpool’s manager was right about one thing. The better team lost, the hosts playing the superior football even after Shelvey’s red card.
United were lacklustre; lacking in energy as well as inspiration. But was Halsey right to send off Shelvey? Yes. And was it a penalty? Yes again.
United were lacklustre; lacking in energy as well as inspiration. But was Halsey right to send off Shelvey? Yes. And was it a penalty? Yes again.
In fairness, Luis Suarez should have had a penalty too and Rodgers had a point when he said Jonny Evans was also reckless in the challenge with Shelvey. But Evans did not appear to have lost control in the manner Shelvey clearly had, the Liverpool midfielder’s finger-wagging attack on Sir Alex Ferguson further evidence of that.
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