Liverpool FC: The Last 5 Anfield Games vs. Manchester United

With less than 16 hours until Liverpool and Manchester United kick off at Anfield, let's take a look back over the past five clashes between the two sides.

Two red cards, 11 goals and wins for both sides have made this an entertaining—for the neutral, at least—tie over the past few seasons and this year's matchup looks to be no exception.

Going into tomorrow's game, Manchester United are top of the table and unbeaten in the league through the opening fixtures, while Liverpool, currently fifth, will be looking to close the gap on their rivals to just three points with a home victory.

Here is all the best from the previous games between the Reds and the Red Devils.

2006-07: Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1

Played in March with United top and Liverpool third, 16 points behind the leaders, the Reds outplayed and outfought the league leaders and thoroughly deserved to take all three points from the game.

The home side had numerous chances to break the deadlock but a combination of good goalkeeping and shoddy finishing ensured the game went all the way to 90 minutes at 0-0, even after Paul Scholes had been shown a red card.

Into injury time, United won a free kick on the left-hand side which was whipped into the six-yard box; Reina was unable to gather cleanly and John O'Shea swept home from close range to inflict a desperately harsh defeat on the Reds.

Liverpool Team: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise, Gerrard, Sissoko, Alonso, Gonzalez, Bellamy, Kuyt

Subs Used: Aurelio, Pennant, Crouch

2007-08: Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1

Liverpool suffered a second 1-0 home defeat against United in two years after Carlos Tevez's goal shortly before halftime won the match for the away side.

A relatively evenly matched contest was settled by a single set piece from which United were more switched onto than the Reds; a short corner played to the edge of the penalty box was steered goalwards by Wayne Rooney before being fired into the roof of the net from close range by the Argentinian Tevez.

Liverpool pressed hard for an equaliser but United were always a threat on the counter and Ryan Babel went as close as anyone to a second goal of the game with a low effort from distance which flashed just wide of Edwin van der Sar's far post.

Liverpool Team: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Benayoun, Gerrard, Mascherano, Kewell, Kuyt, Torres

Subs Used: Aurelio, Babel, Crouch

2008-09: Liverpool 2 Manchester United 1

Three seasons back, Liverpool began their current run of winning at home in the league against Manchester United courtesy of a Ryan Babel winner in the second half.

United looked like they would initially extend their Anfield-winning run with an early goal from Carlos Tevez, just three minutes into the game. 

A defensive mix-up, however, saw Wes Brown score an own goal and level things up, before substitute Babel entered the fray with 20 minutes remaining, and less than 10 minutes later scored the winning goal after the never-say-die attitude of Javier Mascherano and the awareness of Dirk Kuyt contrived to give him a golden shooting opportunity. Nemanja Vidic saw one of three red cards against Liverpool to date shown to him in this match.

Liverpool Team: Reina, Arbeloa, Skrtel, Carragher, Aurelio, Benayoun, Mascherano, Alonso, Riera, Kuyt, Keane

Subs Used: Gerrard, Babel, Hyypia

2009-10: Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0

A dreadful start to the league campaign after the second-place league finish the season before, Liverpool went into the Anfield fixture against Manchester United in a lowly eighth place in the league in October, while United were second, two points off top spot with a game in hand.

Hope, albeit eventually false hope, was briefly restored to the Kop faithful after a gutsy and brave performance from the home team saw them defeat the Red Devils by a 2-0 scoreline.

Fernando Torres scored the first goal midway through the second half as he ran onto a Yossi Benayoun pass to blast high past van der Sar, before David Ngog scored an injury-time second as he ran clear to slot into the far corner.

The celebrations which followed were part in joy of having beaten United and very much part relief and frustration at what had been a dismal first quarter of the campaign.

Liverpool Team: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Insua, Benayoun, Lucas, Mascherano, Aurelio, Kuyt, Torres

Subs Used: Skrtel, Ngog

2010-11: Liverpool 3 Manchester United 1

Dirk Kuyt got the goals but the game was all about the biggest introduction yet for the Premier League to one man—Luis Suarez.

Liverpool's new No. 7 gave a masterclass performance to bamboozle, frustrate and outmanoeuvre the Manchester United defence, setting up Kuyt's first after a mazy run and his third after a sweetly hit free kick.

Kenny Dalglish's finest moment back in the Anfield dugout until now has probably been this game; Reds fans everywhere will be hoping he can have an even better day tomorrow when the two North-West giants do battle once more.

Liverpool Team: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio, Kuyt, Lucas, Gerrard, Maxi, Meireles, Suarez

Subs Used: Kyrgiakos, Carroll, Cole