Anyway, that’s your lot for now. Well-earned win for the Dog & Duck, and perhaps we’ll do this pub match lark again one Sunday. Keep your eyes open for Danny Taylor’s match report and Jamie Jackson’s Five Things – both, I believe, will be up on this site very soon. ‘Til next time, enjoy the rest of your weekend.

An odd game, as I’ve already said. Liverpool should certainly have scored more than United on the balance of chances, and Brendan Rodgers won’t find it hard to spin the positive angles. David de Gea made some outstanding saves, the best being when he touched Balotelli’s shot onto the woodwork. United grew in strength during the second half and ended up looking fairly authoritative, and there is no doubt they they look clinical on the counter. So much for Liverpool to ponder though: where are the goals coming from, and where are the goals against going to be stopped? Allen and Lovren were particularly at fault for goals one and three, while some of Brad Jones’ positioning was not the best. If the second goal should not have stood, it still can’t paper over the fact that Liverpool are not firing at either end of the pitch. United’s general play could be considerably better, but today they had the matchwinners at both ends.

90+3 min: Liverpool still having a go and Sterling, still very lively, wins a corner. De Gea claims. Of course.

90+1 min: Three minutes of added time to play.

90 min: Falcao hits it into the wall and his rebound attempt goes the same way.

89 min: Herrera is tugged down by Toure just outside the D. Free-kick, tasty position. Phil Jones off and Paddy McNair on in the meantime.

87 min: Lovely skill by Van Persie, who pulls a ball out of the sky, twists Toure inside-out and dips in a shot that Jones tips over.

86 min: De Gea 3-0 Balotelli! Crikey, the striker goes clear in the inside right position and should score but, once again, the ‘keeper does not commit too early and saves with his feet. It was a carbon copy of Sterling’s first-half chance.

84 min: Balotelli beats De Gea this time but his decently-struck 25-yarder goes a foot wide. He’s been a threat, to be fair. Gerrard is then booked for an earlier foul on Van Persie.

83 min: De Gea saves from Balotelli again, although this time the striker should have done better, making space eight yards out and seeing his shot dived upon. But the ‘keeper has really made a difference today.

82 min: And maybe he has a point. Lovren should have done much better for the third goal, as just one example. No composure or, it seems, authority in there at all. Who’s running the show in there?

81 min: Big statement from Gary Naylor on Twitter.

80 min: Markovic, yet to do anything for Liverpool, plays a really loose pass to Sterling during a moderately promising break. But this one will surely just play itself out now.

79 min: Falcao instantly tries to play Van Persie in but Jones is out sharply and, besides, the flag is up. Then Fellaini, who has played well today, dispossesses Balotelli.

78 min: Now we see Falcao, who’s fit enough for 13 minutes, in Rooney’s stead.

76 min: This feels like the kind of situation in which Balotelli gets sent off.

75 min: United scored their first goal within a minute of De Gea saving them, and their third goal within three minutes of the same.

74 min: Balotelli is booked, now, for a very petulant foul on Phil Jones.

73 min: Rooney’s attempt to find Van Persie unmarked in the box was prevented by Lovren, but his clearance was terribly weak and seized upon by Mata, who kept a wonderfully cool head to look to his right and find the Dutchman. With Jones off balance and out of position, the finish was straightforward. Game over.

71 min: A United change now. Herrera on, Wilson – pretty quiet – off.

71 min: Praise for Coutinho from Patrick Wills: “Is there a better player to watch in the league in full flight than Coutinho? Glides past players so effortlessly, it’s mesmerising.”

70 min: How Liverpool are two down here is anyone’s guess. Well, it’s not, because they have not been clinical and United have, but they have been the better team for almost all of this game.

69 min: Now Markovic replaces Moreno.

68 min: What a save by De Gea from Balotelli! Jones denied Sterling after he seemed to have got in again, but the forward recovered to lay back to Balotelli on the edge of the six-yard box. Balotelli’s shot was well struck but De Gea somehow touched it onto the bar!!

67 min: A few tackles flying in and Mata isn’t happy about being pulled up for one of them. Lazar Markovic is readying himself to enter the fray, meanwhile. As I type, Jones grabs onto a Young cross.

64 min: Close from Van Persie! Valencia, again, gets too much space on the right and, from his second bite of the cherry, crosses hard and low to Van Persie who diverts it just wide of the near lost.

62 min: Ashley Young, who has played quite well at left wing-back, stands his ground against Henderson well to win a goal kick. Bit of a rebirth for him of late.

60 min: Lovren pummels a shot of his own into Jones and Sterling has one blocked, too. Gary Neville offers some sage advice for them to shoot less but we all know what he’s thinking really.

59 min: “So what you’re saying is that it looks like a pub match?” asks J.R. in reference to the 54th min update.

Couldn’t possibly say.

57 min: Just the three men in the wall for this one and the ball is struck plum into them.

57 min: Fellaini, on a yellow card, concedes a free kick and Balotelli is over it. A long way out....

55 min: Wilson shows some confidence, though, with an ambitious 30-yard shot that he slices well wide.

54 min: This really has been a strange game. Neither side looks fluent, confident or particularly competent.

51 min: How does Sterling miss?! One on one with De Gea after – as he has threatened to all afternoon – seizing onto a wayward Evans backpass, he tries to go round him but finds the goalkeeper standing strong. Eventually, he shoots and De Gea blocks. Fine goalkeeping but he had to score! And how on earth are Liverpool losing here?

Then Rooney has a decent chance on the left of the area but it’s too close to Jones, who saves well. United’s first foray that hasn’t ended with the ball in the net, really.

49 min: Now Moreno fouls Fellaini, who is clutching his ribs and receives some treatment. Bit sneaky of a sneaky little jab from the Spaniard, that.

47 min: Chance for Henderson! Sterling gets to the line and dinks in a super cross from the left which Henderson, who has a perfect run on it, powers over the bar. Might have scored.

46 min: Balotelli’s first contribution is decent, wriggling past a couple of challenges and winning a free kick, which is crosses over his head by Coutinho.

Another of our men, Sachin, on Valencia:

And United....well....I think Mata’s goal was the first mention I’ve given him this afternoon and it’s been a similar story of invisibility for Van Persie and Wilson. They haven’t really got going, but still....

Liverpool have certainly been more technical, as Rodgers promised, and buzzy going forwards. Phil Jones has looked a bit shaky back there and Michael Carrick has had to bail his defensive colleague out once or twice. But there’s something missing despite the brightness. Mario? MARIO??

45+1 min: It’s headed out to Moreno, who indulges in a desperate 35-yard slash far over the bar. Too early for that, surely.

45+1 min: Liverpool win a corner, Coutinho tricking away down the right, and in the meantime Sterling is clutching his left shin.

43 min: Liverpool try to respond but Sterling’s header is saved by De Gea to his left. Then Rooney becomes the latest United player to go in the book.

42 min: It should never have stood! United put together their best passing move of the day so far, getting themselves out of some trouble at the back quite neatly before patiently working the ball to Young on the left. He checked inside, swung a cross in and Van Persie got a touch to it which meant that Mata, who had moved a good couple of yards beyond the last defender after the ball was put in, became well offside. He had a simple header at the far post, but that’s a big error from the linesman. He can’t have thought Van Persie touched the ball, but he flicked it on!

39 min: Young then gets very cross with Martin Atkinson’s – incorrect I think – award of a goal kick following a challenge with Jordan Henderson.

39 min: Valencia is again United’s only outlet of any consequence, making space for a fizzed low cross that Brad Jones dives into before Van Persie – who apparently is playing – can pounce.

37 min: Evans is the latest to be booked, for tripping Coutinho.

36 min: Worth emphasising that, 35 minutes in, United lead with what came from their only forward move of any note whatsoever. Much like Monday night.

34 min: Now Valencia is the man having the defend, as Alberto Moreno gets in behind but can’t quite control an awkwardly-flighted ball. It goes for a corner, after which Allen has a shot blocked.

32 min: Fellaini, who is using his body far better this season than last, is back to dispossess Sterling. Liverpool’s early zest isn’t quite there at the moment.

29 min: A yellow card for Allen now, who charges Valencia rather than letting him go on another run.

29 min: Rooney takes, inswinging, but Skrtel is in front of Brad Jones to clear.

28 min: Sterling is nearly in again – and clearly has a run on the rusty Jones today – but Carrick is cleverly in there to clear up. Straight down the other end and Ashley Young wins a corner....

27 min: Valencia gets more space down the right, by a distance United’s most promising avenue of attack, but crosses over Wilson’s head.

26 min: Toure comes on, and goes straight to the right-hand side of the defensive three. Wonder if that’ll disrupt anything. Liverpool, although losing, have been the better side here.

25 min: Glen Johnson is hurt, groin it seems, and we’re about to see Kolo Toure replace him.

23 min: Fellaini is back really well, deep inside his own box, to snuff out a Lallana run but the ball comes back at United and – CHANCE! – Sterling gets past a statuesque Phil Jones and, at an angle a bit tighter than his earlier opportunity, sees his shot repelled for a corner by De Gea.

22 min: Agricultural stuff from Jones on Coutinho, and a yellow for him. Liverpool are certainly lively going forwards but you can’t help thinking they’ll suffer from the lack of a focal point.

21 min: “Sacked in the morning,” is the home crowd’s (well, you’d assume it’s them) chant towards Rodgers.

19 min: United have given the ball away constantly, it must be said, and Coutinho has just been horribly wasteful with a hurried release down the left after Valencia’s error.

18 min: De Gea has to save again, this time from a Gerrard 20-yarder that deflects of Jones. He dives to his left and clutches tight.

17 min: Henderson looks to thread Sterling in and there’s space to do it perfectly, but he gets it wrong and Carrick intercepts.

17 min: How will Liverpool react to this? They had started much the better and could so easily have been a goal up. Rooney’s finish was good, although he rather oddly sent Jones the wrong way as if from a penalty.

15 min: Well, well. Valencia got past some awful, flaccid, weak ‘defending’ from Allen down then right and sized up a perfect cutback for Rooney to finish clinically into Jones’ left corner from 18 yards.

And that all came IMMEDIATELY after Lallana had played a nice reverse ball through to Sterling inside the area. Sterling, although on his left side, should have scored, but De Gea blocked with his legs, United broke and showed him how it’s done!

11 min: Young passes back towards Evans and Sterling so nearly gets onto it, which would have put him clear on goal. Sterling then can’t tame a Coutinho ball down the left. United playing with fire a bit. It’s all quite avoidable.

9 min: It’s really hurried from United, still. They’re being forced into mistakes and can’t get on the ball inside Liverpool’s half. We do see Wilson try and get a run on Skrtel, as I type, but the defender gets the ball away.

7 min: United still to show anything and Liverpool’s front three are pressing them very high and very zippily.

5 min: ....which is poor from Gerrard this time, and cleared.

5 min: Now Lallana, getting away down the left for a second time, is scythed down by Fellaini and there’s the first booking of the game. Free-kick...

4 min: Loose ball from Evans not far outside his own area but Coutinho can’t make much of it. Rodgers will be content with his team’s beginning though.

2 min: It’s not a bad one and Gerrard finds an unattended Coutinho (I think) to nod down for Skrtel at the far post and, while it’s scrambled away, United don’t fully clear their lines for half a minute or so.

1 min: Bright start from the visitors as Lallana wins a corner from Phil Jones....

So how do we see this one going, all told? Both managers have really shaken things up a bit, team-wise, whether through necessity or choice. I can’t really see beyond United here, myself. They’re not playing well but Liverpool’s selection doesn’t seem convincing to me despite Rodgers’ claim for a more technical, movement-based XI. United to win by two. There, I said it.

Rodgers on the match: “I just wanted to return to a more technical game. In the last 4 or 5 games we’ve looked to become a but more solid and we’ve done that, we’ve got some results. But I think we were moving away from the way we were creative over the past couple of years and now we’ve got to go back to what we do best.”

Rodgers on Mignolet/Jones: “I just felt we needed to change that area. Brad’s been very loyal in my time here as a number two and when he’s come in he’s done very well. I think the rest will do Simon good, coming out of the spotlight for a little while.”

Mike MacKenzie (as per below, not ‘Mike Mac’), emails a Liverpool view:

“I guess we’ll know in a couple of hours if Rodgers is a genius or an idiot given Liverpool’s lineup. At first glance I was sure he was the latter but after in-depth thinking of 2 minutes maybe he’s the former. Hope springs eternal and all that!”

An email from ‘Bren’: “The Liverpool subs bench as listed contains Can, Balotelli, Markovic. Is this the first example of a proper sentence on a subs bench? i.e. Can Balotelli mark Ovic? If Ovic was a footballer...and happened to be playing for the opposition...etc etc”

Two problems with this, Bren. The first would be that I’m not sure the surname ‘Ovic’ actually exists. It would be akin to simply being named “Mc” or “Son”. The second: I’m not sure anyone would be sufficiently optimistic to ask that question of Balotelli’s defensive capabilities.

Van Gaal, talking to Sky: “I had to change at the last moment because Rojo was injured yesterday in the training session. That’s the reason why Jones is playing.”

On Wilson: “I think we need Wilson in this match.” Yeah, but why? “Speed.”

Interesting nugget from Jamie here. Rojo was injured in training and this means Van Gaal has had to take something of a gamble:

Voted.

“I have played five tournaments (in a row – he means World Cups and Euros) now, and based on those, in the period after it was always quite difficult to get straight into your flow, straight into your form. You try everything but it was a tough start,” Robin van Persie tells Geoff Shreeves of his early-season form or lack thereof.

Ahmer Israr is (it seems) a United fan who fancies some revenge:

“It’s time to payback the scousers for the humiliation we were given last season. Prediction: 5-1 win for United, with Falcao, RvP, Fellaini, and Captain Wazza on the scoresheet. Only real threats in their team that I can think of are Sterling and Markovic, due to their pace. On the other hand, our entire forward half of the team should strike fear into their hearts.”

Remember – Liverpool won 3-0 at Old Trafford in March.

Well, he was their matchwinner at Southampton on Monday after some iffy recent form. After getting a bit lucky, too.

Not too bad for a pub match lineup, all the same. Apropos of that, do you know who you had a stint with what used to be my local pub team in Ipswich? Ruel Fox, that’s who. A real pub team, I mean. The Man on the Moon. Apparently he played for another pub side 40 miles north, too, once upon a time.

Absorbed all that? The other key lines here are that Wilson does, indeed, start up front for United despite Falcao apparently being fit, with Johnny Evans back in for Paddy McNair and Phil Jones returning in place of Chris Smalling. Marcos Rojo is out, so they’ve reshuffled a bit.

Liverpool, in replacing Rickie Lambert with Adam Lallana, don’t really go in with a recognised striker. Will that allow Raheem Sterling to do what he does best in a “false nine” kind of role? Is Rodgers shifting deckchairs on the Titanic?

Brad Jones’ start is his second of the season and his fourth of the calendar year.

There are rumours flying around that Simon Mignolet has been dropped.

Here, meanwhile, is some fine reading on Liverpool from Paul Wilson. Can they summon up the wherewithal to emulate last season’s 3-0 win at Old Trafford? Probably not.

Our man in Manchester mulls over the (imminent) United team news:

Any views?

Some pre-match reading for you here in the form of Danny Taylor’s always-excellent column, which should be food for thought where United are concerned.

Kick-off: 1.30pm GMT: Nick will be here shortly with the teams. In the meantime, here’s Jamie Jackson’s preview:

David Moyes’s branding of Liverpool as favourites against Manchester United at Old Trafford for last season’s edition of this fixture hardly enamoured the Scot to fans. In Louis van Gaal they now have a manager to believe in and he “welcomes” Brendan Rodgers’ side seeking a six consecutive win. The Liverpool manager is feeling serious heat due to average domestic form and being knocked out of the Champions League and a victory over the auld enemy would be a fair fillip. Jamie Jackson

Kick-off Sunday 1.30pm

Venue Old Trafford

Last season Man Utd 0 Liverpool 3

Live Sky Sports 1

Referee M Atkinson

This season G12, Y47, R1, 4.0 cards per game

Odds H 5-6 A 19-5 D 29-10