Good afternoon! It's the big one today ladies and gentlemen as Liverpool and Manchester United go head to head at Anfield with a place in next season's Champions League hanging in the balance. There is as much riding on this match between English football's two most successful teams as there has been for some time, so we should be in for a thrilling encounter on Merseyside. We have a bumper build-up to the game, so let's get started with a look at the home side today...

Liverpool come into today's match as one of the favourites for many people to clinch a place in the top four given their form, but that is a situation that appeared highly unlikely just a few months ago. The Reds struggled badly during the opening half of the campaign, with Luis Suarez absence and the injury to Daniel Sturridge having a hugely negative impact on the side. However, a change of formation has brought about a change in results, and they are absolutely flying now.

Rodgers deserves huge credit for turning things around, and he has demonstrated his tactical flexibility this season. Last term, Liverpool's tactics were widely praised as they came so close to winning the title with a fabulous run of form in the closing months of the campaign, but in addition to the loss of Suarez and Sturridge, Liverpool's struggles this season were down to other teams figuring out how to play against them. Rodgers went back to the drawing board, however, and his 3-4-2-1 formation has worked wonders so far.

It is an innovative formation that hasn't been seen too often in English football in recent years, and it was a brave move from Rodgers to switch to it when his job was under threat. It seems a long time ago now, but there was intense speculation about his future earlier in the campaign, with some reports suggesting that he was just one or two games away from being sacked. Their form at the time made it easy to see why questions were being asked, but his achievements last year and the turnaround in form this term have proven that he is capable of being a top manager.

Just as brave as changing to the formation has been sticking to it. It was given a baptism of fire, with Rodgers first rolling it out in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford back in December. Liverpool lost 3-0 that day and, although the scoreline was deceiving, many managers may have quickly abandoned the plans. Rodgers insisted that he had seen enough to suggest that it could be successful, however, and he has been proven right.

Liverpool are unbeaten in the league since that defeat at Old Trafford, a run that now stretches to 13 matches and includes 10 victories. They have picked up eight more points than league leaders Chelsea in that timeframe and only appear to be improving at the moment. They have won each of their last five games in the league and eight of their last nine, giving themselves a great chance of breaking into the top four.

Two points currently separate them from today's opponents, but their next two matches will be crucial in their season. They would climb above Manchester United into fourth with a victory today and then, after the international break, they take on third-placed Arsenal, who are also in scintillating form at the moment. Second place is still a possibility for all of those teams, with Manchester City only one point better off than Arsenal as things stand, but the priority will be to finish in that top four.

A draw today would be a better result for United than it would for Liverpool, who still find themselves playing catch-up despite it effectively still being in their hands. Should they avoid defeat, however, then they would equal the longest unbeaten run by any team in this year's Premier League. Chelsea currently hold that accolade with a 14-match streak that Liverpool will be hoping to match today. The Reds are the only unbeaten side in the top flight in 2015, picking up 26 points from a possible 30 since the turn of the year.

They have had some tricky fixtures in that time as well, and recent results will make them even more confident that they can continue their fine form this afternoon. They have beaten Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Manchester City in recent weeks, as well as Swansea City and West Ham United, who are also currently in the top half of the table. Before the weekend began, they were the league's in-form team, and they will climb back above Arsenal at the top of that form table should they make it six wins on the bounce today.

Their fifth consecutive win came on Monday night as they made the trip to South Wales to face Swansea at the Liberty Stadium. They didn't have things all their own way against Garry Monk's side and were forced to rely on a number of impressive Simon Mignolet stops in the first half especially, but they still managed to come away with the three points. The only goal of the game came from Jordan Henderson and it was a freak strike as a sliding challenge bounced off the stand-in Liverpool skipper and flew over the keeper's head, but the Reds got that stroke of luck that always seems to fall the way of in-form teams.

Liverpool also have an FA Cup quarter-final replay to look forward to next month, and should they make it past Blackburn at Ewood Park then a semi-final against Aston Villa will look winnable for the Reds. Arsenal and Reading await the winners in the final, and should Liverpool make it that far and break into the top four this season then it would be a remarkable achievement considering where they were a few months ago. They have done a very good job of salvaging something from what looked to be a dismal campaign at one point.

Central to their improved form has been a much better defensive record, which was their major downfall both at the start of this season and throughout the previous campaign. They struggled to keep a clean sheet during the first half of this season but have now kept seven in their last nine Premier League games, with the likes of Mignolet, Can, Skrtel and Sakho all in fabulous form over that time. They have kept clean sheets in a row in all competitions coming into this match and will be confident of extending that streak today.

Revenge may also be a driving factor for the hosts given their 3-0 defeat in the reverse fixture, a result that left Brendan Rodgers's side in 10th place and 10 points behind their great rivals. The ultimate revenge would probably be beating United to fourth place and condemning the Reds to a second consecutive season without Champions League football, and they can take a big step towards doing that with three points today.

Home advantage could prove to be key this afternoon, with Liverpool in fine form at Anfield. They have won their last four league games in front of their own fans and are unbeaten in nine in the league - a run that stretches to 14 in all competitions. The last visiting team to win here was Chelsea back on November 8, since when Liverpool have won seven of their subsequent 14 games. Seven draws in that time does represent a lot of dropped points, but they have found a winning streak ahead of today's game.

They have only been beaten three times all season at Anfield, and two of those defeats came at the hands of Real Madrid and Chelsea when Liverpool were really struggling for form. They did generally avoid home defeats even during their early-season struggles, but now they have begun to enjoy themselves at Anfield again and are playing some nice football and getting good results. They have kept five clean sheets in their last seven home games in all competitions as well.

TEAM NEWS: The team news is in and the headline for Liverpool is that there is no Steven Gerrard. The skipper is left on the bench for what will be his final match against Manchester United, with Rodgers naming an unchanged side from the team that beat Swansea on Monday. United also name an unchanged team to the one that beat Tottenham, which means that British record signing Angel Di Maria is left on the bench. Full teams for both sides coming up...

LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Mignolet; Can, Skrtel, Sakho; Lallana, Henderson, Allen, Moreno; Sterling, Coutinho, Sturridge

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Jones, Johnson, Toure, Gerrard, Lambert, Lucas, Balotelli

MAN UTD STARTING XI: De Gea; Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Blind; Carrick, Herrera, Mata, Fellaini, Young; Rooney

MAN UTD SUBS: Valdes, Rafael, Rojo, Di Maria, Januzaj, A Pereira, Falcao

So, some very interesting decisions there from both managers. The biggest one from a Liverpool point of view is the absence of Steven Gerrard, who has been such a huge figure in the recent history of this fixture. He relishes playing against the Red Devils and usually rises to the occasion, scoring seven goals in his last 11 league games against United, but he has been left on the bench this afternoon. That will be a huge blow to the skipper, who would have been desperate for one last taste of this fixture.

It is not a hugely surprising decision from Rodgers, however, and he hinted after the Swansea game that Gerrard would not be picked on sentiment alone this afternoon. Simply put, it doesn't matter if you are arguably the greatest player in the club's history, when the team is playing so well it is going to be hard to break back into it. Gerrard has been sidelined through injury recently but Liverpool have continued to pick up results, and Rodgers has opted not to change a winning formula.

Perhaps the player most responsible for Liverpool's good form without Gerrard is Jordan Henderson. The stand-in skipper has really stepped up to the plate in his captain's absence and has shown encouraging signs that he could become heir apparent to Gerrard when veteran leaves for LA at the end of the season. Henderson has scored the opening goal in each of the last three Premier League games and is one of the team's most in-form players right now.

Another who has been in fine form recently is Philippe Coutinho, with the Brazilian at the heart of most of Liverpool's good attacking play at the moment. He has the ability to unlock opposition defences and United will need to keep track of him today, particularly with the pace of Sterling and Sturridge in behind. Sterling will want a better day today than he had in the reverse fixture, when he missed a glut of great chances in the 3-0 defeat.

Sturridge leads the line today as expected, and the striker has certainly made a difference since returning from injury. He hasn't come into the side and started banging in the goals, but his all-round energy and pace has caused extra problems for the opposition, and his link-up play with Sterling is a big bonus to the team. Sturridge is still yet to really hit top form since his comeback, though, and today would be as good a time as any to do that. He has scored in two of his three Premier League appearances against United for Liverpool.

At the back, it is the same trusted trio of Can, Skrtel and Sakho, who will need to be particularly wary of the aerial threat posed by Fellaini today. Mignolet continues in goal having been dropped for the reverse fixture but come back fighting having been handed a second chance in the team. He has now kept 12 clean sheets in the league this season, a tally only Southampton's Fraser Forster can better.

As for United, they also make headlines for an omission rather than an inclusion as Di Maria is left on the bench. The Argentine became the most expensive player in British football history when he joined from Real Madrid in the summer, but he has struggled to live up to that price tag so far. He has been heavily linked with a move away from the club in the summer, and being left out of such a big game is such to increase that speculation.

Like Rodgers, though, Van Gaal didn't have much of a choice but to leave a star man on the bench considering this side's recent performances. The win over Spurs last weekend was widely regarded as their best of the season, and it is easy to see why the Dutchman has named an unchanged team today. Rojo had also been tipped to make his return from injury, but he is only on the bench as Van Gaal also opts not to change a winning formula.

Perhaps United's star player this season has been David de Gea, and he will be hoping to pull off similar heroics to those he managed in the reverse fixture if needed today. United won that match 3-0 but it could easily have been 3-3 if not worse for the Red Devils had their keeper not been in such inspired form. Like Di Maria, he has been heavily linked with a move away this summer, but for now is he likely to be a central figure for United as they aim to clinch Champions League football next season.

At the back, Jones and Smalling retain their place at the heart of the defence and will need to be alert to the pace of Sterling and Sturridge in behind them. They will also be hoping to get some help from their midfield as the likes of Coutinho and Henderson have done a lot of damage to teams in between the lines in recent weeks. Liverpool have scored a fair few long-range goals recently, so Jones and Smalling may find themselves needing to close those down too.

One of United's key players is Michael Carrick, who may not make many headlines but certainly makes the team tick. He does an understated but vital job in midfield, and that is shown in United's statistics with and without him. They average 2.2 points per game when he is playing this season compared to 1.6 without him. Fellaini has also established himself as an important player with his physical presence in the final third and, while his inclusion often encourages a style of football that many United fans don't agree with, it also brings results more often than not. I suspect the fans would take an ugly win at the home of their great rivals today.

Rooney again starts up front for United today having shone since returning to a more attacking position. He spent a while playing in central midfield earlier in the campaign but, with Van Persie injured and Falcao struggling for form, he has been restored as the club's number one striker and once again stepped up to the plate with five goals in his last six games in all competitions. He doesn't have a great record here at Anfield, however, last scoring here in 2005.

United come into this match as the underdogs despite sitting above Liverpool in the table and actually being in good form themselves. Only Liverpool and Arsenal have amassed more points in the league over the last six games, and Louis van Gaal's side are still very much in the mix for a second-placed finish alongside those two teams. Defeat today could prove very costly, but a victory would open up a nice five-point gap between themselves and Liverpool in fifth.

One key factor in the top-four race could be the run-ins, and Manchester United have quite a tough one ahead of them. They still need to face Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal before the end of the campaign, in addition to the likes of Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and West Brom - all of whom have improved drastically since appointing new managers. It is still very much in their own hands, but they will need to fight for it if they are to hold on to fourth spot.

A spot in the top four would have been the main priority for Van Gaal going into the season, and failure to achieve that would be a major blow considering how much was invested in the team during the summer. This was always going to be a rebuilding season following the disastrous David Moyes reign, but the club would have wanted to be back in the title race next year and failure to get Champions League football for a second successive season would be a big setback in that goal.

The positive they have had this season is that they have not been involved in any European competition, which means that they have played far fewer games than many of the teams around them in the table. Liverpool had the same advantage last season, but United have also been hit by terrible luck in terms of injuries throughout the campaign. They may not have been able to cope with the extra European workload considering they have been left with a threadbare squad at times anyway, so that is something for Van Gaal to consider whether they are in the Champions League or Europa League next season.

After the summer business, there was a lot of concern that United had neglected to strengthen at the back, where they really needed to. However, despite also suffering a number of defensive injuries throughout the campaign, only Chelsea and Southampton have conceded fewer goals than the Red Devils this season. That is largely thanks to De Gea, who has been superb, but Van Gaal deserves great credit for managing to keep things tight despite the odds being stacked against him.

They come into today's match having kept three clean sheets in a row in the Premier League, and another this afternoon would hand them four on the trot for the first time since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson. They have won all of those three matches and four of their last five to ensure that they keep up with the in-form Arsenal and stay ahead of Liverpool, but many of their victories this season haven't been too convincing.

That criticism cannot be levelled at their display last weekend as they hammered Spurs 3-0, with goals from Fellaini, Carrick and Rooney killing the game off before half time. It was widely hailed as the club's best performance of the season and perhaps even the best since Ferguson retired, and it came at the perfect time for United ahead of this match. Such a convincing win over a top-four rival will give them huge confidence going into today's match and they will be looking to build on that at Anfield.

Even though the general standard of their performances has been questionable for much of the season, United have become adept at digging results out. They have only been beaten once in their last eight Premier League games and twice in their last 19, winning 13 of those. Their last defeat came more than a month ago now as Swansea ran out 2-1 winners at the Liberty, since when United have a 100% record and have not conceded a goal in the league.

Under Moyes last season, United were strong on the road but struggled at home. It has been the opposite this term, however, with United boasting the best home record in the division but only managing four victories on their travels. They only have the eighth best away record in the Premier League, picking up just 19 of their 56 points on the road. They don't often lose away games, however, with just one defeat in their last nine in the league.

They have only won two of their last seven away games, however, drawing four and picking up just 10 points from a possible 21 in that time. They still have to travel to Stamford Bridge as well this season, while they won't find many tougher away games than this one today considering the form Liverpool are in at the moment. An improvement is needed on the road if they are to hold on to a top-four spot.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes away from kickoff in this huge match, which means that it is time for a prediction! Both teams will be full of confidence going into this one and, with plenty at stake, will be desperate not to lose. However, I don't see it being too cagey considering some of the attacking talent on show, and there should be goals. Liverpool have home advantage and are in the better form, so I can see them stealing a march over their rivals and getting all three points today. I'll go for a 3-1 home victory.

The Sports Mole sofa could not separate these two sides, with both panellists going for a share of the spoils which would probably be the best result for the likes of Arsenal, Man City, Southampton and Spurs. Find out what they had to say in our video preview for the game below:

Liverpool have a good record against United at Anfield in recent years, winning five of their last seven meeting here in all competitions and losing just one in that time. Their last meeting here came in September 2013, with Daniel Sturridge scoring after just four minutes to give the hosts all three points in a 1-0 victory. That was just the second time in their last eight visits to Anfield that United have failed to score.

This fixture has seen 15 red cards in the Premier League era, a tally only the Merseyside derby (2) can beat over the same timeframe. Incidentally, former United defender Nemanja Vidic got no fewer than four of those, which is a Premier League record for number of red cards shown to a single player in a fixture.

There will also be footballing royalty in attendance at Anfield today, with Brazilian legend Pele a guest of honour. It would be fitting if arguably the greatest player in history was treated to a superb match here. We're just a couple of minutes away from kickoff now.

KICKOFF: Manchester United get us underway for what is still the biggest fixture in English football amidst a cracking atmosphere in Anfield.

United have made a really bright start to this match, getting onto the front foot early on and dominating possession in the early stages. It is often Liverpool who make the quick start, but the visitors have started well on this occasion.

First chance for Liverpool to threaten as Lallana slides the pass inside the full-back for Sterling. The winger beats Jones to the ball and skips past him in the area, but De Gea is out in timely fashion to mop up the danger.

The main question over Liverpool's formation today was whether Sterling ot Lallana would play as the right wing-back, and it is Sterling who has started out wide. That takes away some of his attacking qualities, but his is the more natural wide player of the two.

Poor play from Moreno as he carelessly gives the ball away to Mata before conceding a free kick when trying to win it back. United have a chance to put the ball in towards Fellaini in the box here...

Mata swings it into the middle, but it is not aimed at Fellaini and Henderson is able to clear. Liverpool break quickly with some brilliant play from Coutinho, but Sterling pass is poor.

Really good spell of possession from Manchester United as they look to take the sting out of the game and the atmosphere. Liverpool keep their shape, but they are having to do a lot of chasing at the moment.

That passage of possession comes to an end as the ball is lifted in to Fellaini, who wins a header on the edge of the box and knocks it into a dangerous position. Mata just hesitates at the back post, however, and Sakho is able to shepherd it out.

United strike first in the clash of the titans at Anfield! Mata gets the wrong side of Moreno and is found by an incisive through-ball from Herrera, with the linesman's flag staying down. The Spaniard only has the keeper to beat and makes no mistake, sliding his low finish in off the far post. What a start this has been for United.

What have Liverpool got in response, then? United have been comfortably the better side in this opening 15 minutes or so and deserve their lead, with Liverpool failing to really get going so far. They are struggling to keep hold of the ball and the visitors' long balls forward to Fellaini are causing the hosts problems.

Sturridge goes for a special one to restore parity as Henderson clips a pass over the defence for Sturridge on the left side of the box. He goes for a Van Basten-esque volley, but slices it high and wide of the near post. Not a bad effort from the striker, but it was always an ambitious one.

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the day is shown to Allen, who drags down Herrera after being caught in possession inside his own half. That is a fairly soft one given the occasion.

We are used to Liverpool closing teams down high up the pitch and getting in their faces, but it is United who have done that so far today. They have given the Liverpool defence barely any time on the ball whatsoever.

Hefty collision between Jones and Lallana in midfield as the United man comes steaming in to an aerial challenge and arrives half a second late. He clatters into Lallana, who is left in a heap on the floor.

Lallana is a bit dazed and confused, but he is fine to continue here, which means there won't be an early introduction for Steven Gerrard.

Fellaini has lined up Can in the Liverpool defence and United are throwing long ball after long ball up to the Belgian. Can is struggling to deal with that, which is proving to be a useful outlet for the visitors.

Very good goalkeeping from De Gea as he races out of his area to mop up a dangerous attack for Liverpool. United gave the ball away and Sterling immediately looked to release Sturridge from deep, but De Gea was out to clear.

Liverpool just need to get their foot on the ball for a sustained period here. United have enjoyed the lion's share of possession so far and look comfortable, which is not something you can often say for a visiting team at Anfield. The hosts just having got going.

Liverpool were second best in the first half of their match against Swansea on Monday and were fortunate not to go into the break behind on that occasions. It has been a similarly limp display in this opening 45 minutes so far, so Rodgers will be hoping of another improvement after the break - or before if possible.

Van Gaal will be delighted with what he has seen from his side so far. They have built on that performance against Spurs last time out and put in another fine display so far.

United have had 62% possession in this match so far, which is a monumental figure against a Liverpool side in such good form at Anfield. They have been on control and the hosts can have no complaints at being behind right now.

CHANCE! Huge chance for Liverpool to get an equaliser against the run of play! Sterling gives the ball down the right for Henderson, who plays a beauty of a pass around the defence for Sturridge. The striker unselfishly plays it inside for Lallana, but he can only guide it just past the post when he should have scored!

That chance has lifted the crowd and the Liverpool team here and all of a sudden it is the hosts who have the momentum. Lallana really should have scored, but even his miss has completely changed this game.

Again De Gea is quick out of his area to mop up a dangerous through-ball from Henderson that was of interest to Lallana. The Liverpool skipper just put too much on it, and De Gea's starting position was good again to deal with it.

Liverpool are playing with a lot more urgency now, looking to get on the front foot whenever possible. United, meanwhile are looking a little more nervous now and they may be content to simply hold on until half time here.

This is a big period of the match now. Liverpool were comfortably second best for 35 minutes here but have improved a lot since that Lallana chance and are now pushing for an equaliser before the break. If they can get that, it would give them a massive boost.

Better from United in the last couple of minutes as they have stunted Liverpool's momentum and started to get more of the ball themselves again. They seem to have weathered that brief storm.

There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this frenetic first half.

SAVE! Mignolet is called into action late in the half as Carrick drives one from distance towards the top corner. He catches it well, but it is fairly comfortable for Mignolet and he holds on to it.

Martin Atkinson brings an end to the first half here at Anfield, and it is Manchester United who go into the break with the lead. It was an entertaining opening 45 minutes played at a good tempo, but Liverpool will need an improvement in the second half if they are to avoid seeing their long unbeaten run in the league come to an end.

It was Juan Mata who got the only goal of the game so far, calmly sliding the ball in off the far post with only Mignolet to beat. It was Herrera who created the chance, sliding the ball inside Moreno to set Mata clean through on goal. The Spaniard made no mistake with his finish to give United a deserved advantage.

It took the hosts a long time to get going, but they did have one glorious chance to level things up 10 minutes before the break. Sterling and Henderson linked up on the right before the latter played a superb ball to Sturridge, who in turn knocked it inside to Lallana. The midfielder had time to pick his spot just inside the area, but guided his shot narrowly wide when he really should have scored.

That is the only chance Liverpool have created, however, and the hosts have been disappointing on the whole. United have pressed really well and Liverpool have struggled to deal with that for the majority of the game so far. They were second best for the opening 35 minutes, but did spark into life a little after that Lallana chance. Rodgers will want more urgency and intensity from his side in the second half.

United deserve their half-time lead and have comfortably been the better side so far, but chances have been few and far between for them too. The goal is the only real opening they have created, with a late Carrick shot from range the only other time Mignolet has really been called into action. Van Gaal may be upset that his side have failed to create more considering their dominance, but on the whole he will be delighted with the job his team have done.

Liverpool were similarly poor in the first half of their match against Swansea on Monday, but they improved after the break and will be hoping for a similar change in fortunes today. United have pressed really well high up the pitch, which is often one of Liverpool's strengths, and that has forced to hosts into giving possession away far too often. Some of their passing has been really disappointing.

Rodgers does, of course, have Gerrard on the bench, and his experience could be a useful asset in the first half. This hasn't been a dirty game, but Allen is on a yellow card, which could also come into Rodgers's thinking. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Liverpool skipper introduced soon.

LIVERPOOL SUB: Well, Rodgers has done exactly that at the break! Gerrard comes on at half time, but replaces Lallana rather than Allen.

KICKOFF: Liverpool get us back underway for the second half as they look to turn this game around and climb into the top four.

Oh my word! Less than a minute after coming onto the field as a half-time sub, Gerrard is given his marching orders with a straight red! First he clatters into Mata with a good challenge that gets the crowd going, but he then appears to stamp on Herrera after a sliding challenge from the United midfielder. It is stupid from Gerrard, and he can't have any complaints at seeing his final appearance against United last a matter of seconds.

YELLOW CARD! Herrera also picks up a yellow card for the challenge that led to Gerrard's stamp.

What an incredible start to this half. Liverpool have a mountain to climb now and, for all the good Gerrard has done in this fixture down the years, he has let his side down here. He came on and immediately wanted to stamp his authority on the game, but it is his stamp on Herrera that will be remembered.

It is not just the numerical disadvantage that will hurt Liverpool now, but all of Rodgers's plans made at half time have gone up in smoke within seconds of the restart here. It will be a tall order for Liverpool to turn this one around now.

Liverpool have responded fairly well to that setback and have seen more of the ball since. Sterling picks the ball up on the left here and clips a cross into the middle, but it is just too heavy for Sturridge and goes behind for a goal kick.

SHOT! Coutinho picks the ball up in the United half and looks to provide a spark of magic by driving at the defence and letting fly from range. It is a powerful strike, but flies a yard or so over the bar. De Gea had it covered too.

MAN UTD SUB: The second of the two notable omissions makes his introduction as Angel di Maria comes on for Young.

YELLOW CARD! Jones is a lucky boy here! Henderson gets the better of Blind on the right and then beats Jones to the ball, but the United defender clatters into Henderson with a late, high challenge. He is fortunate not to be sent off there.

Bizarre scenario here as Di Maria watches a ball come over his shoulder before catching it while it is still in play! The crowd want a card for deliberate handball, but he simply got his bearings wrong.

United double their advantage at Anfield, and it is a stunner from Mata as he doubles his personal tally for the game. The Spaniard plays the ball inside to Di Maria before continuing his run into the box for the return pass. Di Maria duly finds him with a chip over the defence, but this one is all about the finish. Mata produces an acrobatic volley and catches it perfectly to send it into the far corner. That could be game over.

What a blow that is for Liverpool, who had responded really well to going down to 10 men. They have been the better side in the second half so far, but it would take something special to turn this one around now. The goal has come at a very good time for United, who had begun to look a little complacent in their play.

CHANCE! Huge chance for United to get a third and Di Maria races down the left flank with only Sakho up against him and Rooney. The Argentine could go alone or give it to Rooney, but his eventual pass is behind the United skipper. That was a pretty simple pass as well.

The United fans are urging their team on to attack here as they look for more goals. They smell blood here, and Liverpool must decide whether to throw caution to the wind or to go into damage limitation mode.

LIVERPOOL SUB: Perhaps this is a sign that Rodgers is going for the former option there, with Mario Balotelli replacing Moreno.

Almost suicidal play from Mignolet as he tries to take on Rooney inside his own box, but just about gets away with it. Very risky business from the Liverpool keeper.

YELLOW CARD! Balotelli is another sub who wastes no time in getting his name in the book. He catches Jones before having a few words with the United defender and is subsequently booked by Atkinson.

Hello! There is life in Liverpool yet as they pull a goal back with 20 minutes remaining! Coutinho steals possession in midfield and gets straight on the front foot before sliding a pass to Sturridge inside the box. The angle is against the striker, but his shot takes the slightest deflection off Jones and beats De Gea at his near post. Game on again at Anfield!

We are set for a blockbuster end to this match now. United are still in a relatively comfortable position, leading by a goal and having a man advantage, but that Sturridge strike has made things very interesting.

A worry for Liverpool as Mignolet goes down after an awkward landing, seemingly with an ankle injury. Rooney was involved and there seemed to be a slight kick from the United skipper, but the referee didn't see it.

The injury doesn't appear to be as serious as it first seemed, and Mignolet will be able to continue now. That is a big boost as Brad Jones has not had any action since an injury of his own.

Liverpool win a free kick in a good position as Smalling comes through the back of Sturridge. It is a little wide for a shot, but Balotelli is the man standing over the ball and goes for goal nonetheless, only to see his effort hit the top of the wall.

Good spell of possession from United as they look to quell any late Liverpool momentum. This is all about game management for the visitors now as they look to control the ball with their man advantage.

A little flash point between Balotelli and Smalling and the Liverpool man has to be held back by fans to prevent him from reacting! It was six of one and half a dozen of the other, but Balotelli has to be careful having already been booked.

Just under 10 minutes remaining here and Liverpool are seeing more of the ball as they look to build pressure on the United defence in the closing stages. Can they pull off a remarkable comeback which would give them a very good point under the circumstances?

MAN UTD SUB: A change for United as Herrera, booed for his part in Gerrard's red, makes way to be replaced by Radamel Falcao.

Some very nervy play between Can and Mignolet. First the defender nods the ball back to his keeper, which Di Maria reads. Mignolet is forced to come out of his box to get there first, and Can then plays it back to him, leaving the goalkeeper needing to throw a dummy to take it back into his box and clear.

SAVE! De Gea is forced into a stop at his near post to deny Sterling's effort from a tight angle. He can't prevent a corner, but United deal with the subsequent delivery comfortably.

Still Liverpool continue to probe for a way through, but United are holding firm at the moment as we approach the dying stages of the match.

There will be four minutes of added time at the end of this match.

United have the ball at the right end of the field as far as they are concerned right now, knocking the ball around inside the Liverpool half and preventing the Reds from building any late momentum.

United have a late chance to wrap things up once and for all in the last minute of added time, but Mignolet pulls off a fine save to deny Rooney from the spot! Can concedes the penalty for a clumsy challenge on Blind inside the area, but Rooney's drought at Anfield goes on as he is denied from 12 yards.

A controversial match ends in controversial fashion as Skrtel appears to catch De Gea late when going for a late through-ball into the box. The two sets of players square up as Atkinson blows the final whistle, but ultimately it is United who are celebrating having ended Liverpool's long unbeaten record in the league to open up a five-point gap between themselves and the their bitter rivals.

It was a game littered with incidents, but Juan Mata proves to be the difference with his two goals, which came either side of half time. Daniel Sturridge pulled one back for Liverpool, who had been reduced to 10 men right at the start of the second period after half-time sub Steven Gerrard was shown a straight red card just seconds into his final appearance in this fixture. Advantage United in the top-four race.

That is all we have time for this afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for another eventful meeting between English football's two most successful teams as Manchester United edge to a 2-1 victory over 10-man Liverpool. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!