Rafael Benitez could end up having the last word, after all, as his team Liverpool were back in the fight for the title with a decisive 4-1 hammering of 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The Merseyside giants fought back from a goal of exceeding the Premier League so clinical, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard turned the game in the lead before the break, with Fabio Aurelio and Andrea Dossena Liverpool clear easing before the end.
However, this was a day to forget for Nemanja Vidic, with Torres that bind the target before being sent off against Liverpool for the second time this season that the half-Benitez Kingdom has reduced lead-up to four points, but after having played a game more.
Liverpool's victory was larger in Italy since 1936 and could trigger a resumption of the league incredible.
Liverpool are the ones who need this win and it soon became clear about them, especially Torres gave the Red Devils defense a torrid time.
Once Jamie Carragher had regained calm after being destabilized by a switch on the right back end due to late withdrawal Alvaro Arbeloa, who had the edge in areas of vital importance, guests do better than his nervous first half display against ' Inter in midweek.
Fact, it was a surprise when United went ahead.
Pepe Reina Carlos Tevez play a through ball to Park Ji-Sung pretty well, but it came too fast for his own good. When South Korea cut the ball, the Liverpool goalkeeper could not stop.
And while Reina has pleaded for clemency, the referee Alan Wiley pointed to the right place.
Ronaldo is not the type of player to waste these opportunities and duly sent his 17th goal of the season.
The men had Sir Alex Ferguson was able to hold their advantage for a sufficient period of time, the visitors could have panicked. But five minutes later Liverpool were well in a rare error of Nemanja Vidic.
The Serb has been almost perfect this season, so is the favorite to win the PFA player of the year.
But first, let Bounce Vidic Martin Skrtel long punt forward, when he might come back in half Liverpool quite easily. Then, he failed to rule on the ball, allowing Torres to nip and clear line, beating Edwin van der Sar with clinical efficacy.
Conceding a goal was quite surprising for the Red Devils, even before the break Liverpool had scored again.
Hull were the last team to score more than once against United in the Premier League battle - and that was four-and-a-half months ago.
But when Torres attempted to send Racing Gerrard in the box and Patrice Evra MIS shifted its face, the Liverpool captain finds converts the penalty with the same confidence Ronaldo had shown previously.
Gerrard joy was evident. Liverpool and the lead was fully deserved, condemning Ferguson for the first interval rally call to arms in the league at Old Trafford all season.
The Scot has injected a greater sense of urgency in his team, even if there is no improvement in their area of conservation.
Carrick, in particular, was really a pretty bad day, twice put in jeopardy his team goes from rebels.
United at least managed to generate some momentum, with Tevez approaching the end of a knock-back Wayne Rooney and equipment, then a shot on the turn narrowly wide.
After expressing his "hatred" of Liverpool earlier this week, the last thing I wanted was to suffer a defeat Rooney and immediate opportunity for Gerrard - a longtime friend - to gloat.
Yet, over time, which was the fate Rooney has been condemned, particularly as Ferguson has waited more than 20 minutes before it was made presentations of Dimitar Berbatov, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.
This is the kind of force Benitez did not, and one of the main reasons why Liverpool have found themselves on the wrong side of a 14-point swing fortunes United return from their campaign of Club World Cup in Japan just before Christmas.
Liverpool have managed to do what this season is to beat Chelsea and United, the two disadvantages that are now registered "double".
The U.S. had hopes, evaporated minutes to replace Ferguson as another spectacular triple dismal first contact, once again Vidic, left few alternatives other than the Serbian slaughter of Gerrard.
For the match against Liverpool in the second half, Ronaldo drove a red card and was still making its way through the tunnel, when Aurelio curled home a superb free-kick.
And Liverpool were not finished, as Andrea Dossena lob Van der Sar to complete a memorable victory, whose significance remains unknown.
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