MANCHESTER UNITED

David de Gea: 5.0 De Gea’s performances are becoming an increasingly large problem for Manchester United. Liverpool targeted the Spaniard’s weakness at set pieces and we saw how deadly this can be with the first goal. Distribution when kicking was also poor.

Patrice Evra: 5.5 Seemed to have his mind elsewhere and did not provide the guile that captaincy calls for. Almost gave up on Kuyt in the closing stages and allowed the Dutchman ample space to blast past De Gea.

Chris Smalling: 7.0 Commanding display from the young England international. Reinforced his versatility by playing in the heart of defence. Every now and then a little slapdash. However, wonderful technique and calm distribution suggests only good things for the future.

Johnny Evans: 6.0 Had his work cut out by the bustling Andy Carroll and seemed a great deal less relaxed than Chris Smalling. Played well along the ground, but struggled with the immense size and strength of Carroll in the air.

Rafael: 7.0 Was caught occasionally, notably outpaced by Henderson early on when attempting to dive in. Provided a great attacking outlet, however, and looked to wrap around Valencia wherever possible. Determined chase and good cross to set Park up for the equaliser.

Ryan Giggs: 6.0 Brought good experience to the team but was a little off the tempo of the game. Kelly showed up the 38-year-old's increasing lack of pace on a number of occasions. Nonetheless, alright performance and great positioning throughout. Michael Carrick: 4.5 Poor display from the England man. Saw plenty of the ball, but wasted the majority of it with heavy touches and wayward passing. Was made to look like a rookie against Gerrard and lost Agger in a sea of bodies for the first goal.

Park: 6.5 Emphatic finish to draw Manchester United level and made himself available frequently in the midfield by always looking to keep the ball moving.

Paul Scholes: 7.0 Ran a tight ship in midfield and always looked to be positive when in possession. Defined the term “evergreen” with some vintage passing before his withdrawal in the 75th minute. 

Luis Antonio Valencia: 7.5 Always a threat and made sure Enrique was on his game all the time. Lively display and pinpoint crossing throughout. A cheeky flick to allow Rafael to set up the equaliser.

Danny Welbeck: 5.5 Plenty of legs in the young Englishman. However, was left cut off and isolated as lone striker. Good experience to deal with the supply line from the midfield being cut. However, a frustrating night for Welbeck.

SUBS

Javier Hernandez: 6.0 Always looked to move forward in his 20-minute cameo. However, could not find the much-needed goal.

Dimitar Berbatov: N/A No time to change the game.

LIVERPOOL

Pepe Reina: 7.0 Reliable as always in the Liverpool goal. Stepped up to captaincy well upon the removal of Gerrard. Could not be blamed for the Manchester United goal.

Martin Kelly: 7.5 Showed himself a capable deputy to Glen Johnson and looked to streak forward wherever possible. Was too quick for Giggs and drew Evra into a number of clumsy challenges.

Martin Skrtel: 6.5 Good display. However, upstaged by Agger, should have been tighter on Park and allowed him less of an angle to shoot. Overall solid display and made up nicely for the absent display of Carragher.

Daniel Agger: 7.5 Great display and tremendous jump to tower over Carrick for the opening goal. Coped well without much cover from Carragher and did well to stamp out threats from Welbeck and co.

Jose Enrique: 5.5 Mixed bag from the talented left-back. Passing was a little wayward and he seemed too keen to hike the ball upfield. Exposed a few times by the talented Valencia as seen in United’s equaliser.

Jamie Carragher: 5.0 May as well have not been on the field, rarely had any input on the game and seemed entirely off the pace. At times, it seemed like Gerrard was doing to the work for both himself and Carragher.

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Jordan Henderson: 7.0 Not the most amazing day for the rookie Englishman, but kept the ball moving in midfield and was not afraid to run at players. One sublime moment in the opening stages where he left Rafael for dead and crossed for Gerrard.

Steven Gerrard: 8.0 Seemed everywhere in the opening of the game, providing a box-to-box presence that kept the Manchester United midfield constantly looking over their shoulders. A slight lack of fitness. However, this is to be expected after such a lengthy layoff. Gerrard always manages to lift the team when on the field.

Stewart Downing: 6.0 Anonymous display from the pacey winger, did not gallop forward with the same confidence and flair that we saw at Aston Villa.

Andy Carroll: 7.0 Operating in a similar role to Danny Welbeck, Carroll showed great energy and strength for the entirety of the match. Offered an outlet when defence and midfield were under pressure and made both Smalling's and particularly Evans' day difficult. Good flick to set up the winner.

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Dirk Kuyt: 8.5 Stole victory in typical Liverpool fashion at the death. An energetic performance and saw his club past powerhouse Manchester United.

Charlie Adam: 6.5 Tightened the midfield and made sure the ball did not get caught up in the middle of the park.

Craig Bellamy: 5.5 Was a little off the tempo, but always a threat with his aggressive runs and sheer pace. Did not really get into this game.