Hat-trick hero Dimitar Berbatov was celebrating his
"best day" in a Manchester United shirt after giving
his side a 3-2 win over arch-rivals Liverpool in
dramatic fashion at Old Trafford.
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Berbatov put United 2-0 up with a wonder goal
described as "genius" by Liverpool boss Roy
Hodgson and then stole victory with a late header
after Steven Gerrard had brought the visitors level
with a double.
The winner was Berbatov's seventh goal in six
games this season as he all but confirmed his
transformation from peripheral figure to leading
man with this match-winning contribution. But the
Bulgarian, ever the team man, would have much
rathered his third goal not have been required and
he has told his team-mates to cut out the defensive
lapses that have hurt United in their past three
Premier League matches.
United threw away a two-goal advantage at
Everton in injury-time last week and contrived to
draw a game they thought was won at Fulham last
month after another late equaliser before Gerrard's
second-half brace almost cost them another two
points.
"Let us hope in the future we won't complicate it so
much,'' Berbatov said. "We have to keep working
and improving on that. There is a long way ahead
of us but hopefully in the end we will be on top.''
Berbatov admitted he didn't even see his second
strike go in, instead relying on the crowd to
confirm his moment of magic. He first controlled
Nani's cross with his thigh just inside the box, then
beat a static Pepe Reina with a perfect overhead
volley that crashed in off the underside of the bar.
"I never saw the ball go in the back of the net. But
when I heard the crowd scream it was easy to
guess what had happened. It was a good goal but
as long as the ball hits the back of the net it doesn't
matter. It was probably my best day in a United
shirt. Obviously I am happy. I am going home
with a smile on my face. But I am nothing special. I
am going home to play with my kids.''
Gerrard felt Liverpool deserved more from the
defeat but admitted Berbatov deserved to be on the
winning team after becoming the first United player
to score three against Liverpool since 1946.
"I think when you recover a two-goal deficit at Old
Trafford you feel really good and you fancy
yourself to hang on in there and get a fantastic
point,'' said Gerrard. "But Berbatov completed his
hat-trick - he was the difference and his second
goal was world class. We're disappointed with the
result but really pleased with how we played and
disappointed to go away within nothing.''