Manchester United’s game with Liverpool in March 2009 was one of the most memorable in Premier League history.
Unlike the dour contests we’ve been subjected to in recent fixtures between the pair, this was a dramatic match full of incidents, goals and red cards, as two title rivals slugged it out at Old Trafford. Neither team parked the bus, despite the fact United were four points clear of Liverpool with a game in hand, and the away side ran out 4-1 winners.
Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Fabio Aurelio and Andrea Dossena got the goals for Rafa Benitez’s team, after Cristiano Ronaldo had given the home side the lead from the penalty spot. To compound United’s misery, Nemanja Vidic was sent-off after getting the run-around by an in-form Torres.
However, Ferguson’s team recovered from the defeat to win the league title by four points. Patrice Evra played that day, and has said he now regards it as his “best memory” with the United fans because of their unwavering support after the final whistle. He said the support from the fans also had an effect on Ferguson, who, rather than deploy his infamous hairdryer, urged the defeated United players to win the league title for the Old Trafford crowd.
“My best memory with the United fans, where I say these fans are so loyal and they give everything for the player, is when we were losing 4-1 at Old Trafford against Liverpool,” Evra told Stephen Howson.
“When we came off the pitch and all the United fans were singing ‘United, United’. I remember getting into the dressing room and Ferguson said to all of us ‘Guys, did you hear that? We should win the league for them’. And I remember we were seven points behind, and in the end we won the league. That league title was especially for United fans because they were behind us in every moment. Not only the good moments, but also the difficult moments.”
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Evra left United for Juventus in 2014 after eight years with the club. In his time at Old Trafford, the French full-back made almost 400 appearances, and won five Premier League titles, three League Cups, the Champions League and the Club World Cup.
He’s playing for Marseille now, but Evra said he remains a United fan.
“That’s why Man United fans represent so much for me and I miss them so much. I move, I’ve changed a lot of clubs but I will never forget them. And I am a Manchester United fan forever.”
You can watch Evra here:
