March 6th, 2011, Anfield
What a performance from Luis Suarez and the rest of Kenny Dalglish's men! With Manchester United reeling from their defeat at Stamford Bridge and Sir Alex Ferguson controlling the media prior to the match with his denouncement of Premier League refereeing, the mighty Reds of Merseyside prepared for battle and executed with ruthless precision.
Dirk Kuyt scored a poacher's hat trick for Liverpool; a product of his knack for good positioning and his relentless work rate. It was Luis Suarez, however, that firmly controlled the spotlight throughout the match. It was a lovely afternoon in Liverpool, but Suarez was not simply out for a Sunday stroll. The Uruguayan was all business from the first whistle, playing a major role in Liverpool's early dominance.
After just over an half hour of play, Suarez created one of Liverpool's best goals in recent memory by simply outclassing his opponents from Manchester. The striker dribbled through three United players before knocking the ball past Edwin van der Sar for Dirk Kuyt to pound home from inches off the line. The skill Suarez displayed on the ball to create the goal has given hope to Liverpool fans that his wizardry will come to be worth the £22.8 million spent to acquire him and more.
Suarez was also responsible for creating Kuyt's third goal of the game. His free kick curled into a difficult position for Van der Sar to handle, and the Dutch keeper spilled the ball to the feet of his countryman, Kuyt, who was all too happy to accept the gift. Kuyt's hat trick was thoroughly deserved, and there were certainly more talking points to this excellent game, but I'll always remember this one as the day Luis Suarez made his first major mark on English football and gave Liverpool fans a new hope for next season and beyond.
I've created a strip of the goal developing, enjoy! (click for full-size)
