SoccerBlogs

1. It's hard to remember an encounter against Arsenal when I've cared less about the outcome in the run up to the game. Of course you always want to win but it felt strange not having any of the pre-match nerves this game has brought about in the past. Instead, we got to watch their players applaud ours on to the pitch.

1. The whispers that United had lost their bottle following the unjust defeat at the hands of Real Madrid have become louder and louder as the weeks have gone on. We went 2-0 up against Chelsea in the FA Cup, only to go on to be grateful to force a replay following an abysmal second half. Then we endured an unconvincing 1-0 win at home against Reading, who are at the bottom off the league, before beating Sunderland away thanks to an off target Robin van Persie shot being deflected in off Titus Bramble.

1. Having taken points off the three clubs below us over the past month, it would make sense to presume that QPR might offer something today. Thankfully, they didn't. Harry Redknapp's men seem resigned to the fact they are going to be relegated and offered very little. That's not to take anything away from United, who were very professional in their performance today, but they didn't even really get out of 2nd gear.

1. United got the three points they deserved in what was a great game to watch at Craven Cottage. The first half in particular was end to end and by the end of the game the woodwork had been hit almost ten times between both sides. It wasn't the walk in the park we'd enjoyed in the FA Cup a couple of weeks earlier, with United not even looking like they were even really trying when they beat Fulham 4-1 at Old Trafford, but it was the result we wanted.

1. There we have it. United have beaten Liverpool home and away for the first time since 07/08. There was a huge gulf between the two sides at the start of the day, with United top of the league and Liverpool all the way down in 8th. Whilst Rodgers might claim there isn't 24 points difference in quality between the two sides, the grim reality for Liverpool fans is that there really is.

Distance travelled

In the first half, United covered 30.63 miles but in the second half upped this to 31.18. Michael Carrick covered 6.54 miles over 90 minutes which was more than any player on either side.

Average speed

Our average speed in the second half increased to 3.

Distance covered

In the first half, United covered a total of 30.81 miles but in the second half upped this to 33.19 miles.

Carrick has covered more distance for United this season than any other player and against Newcastle there were no differences. He covered 6.83 miles over the 90 minutes which is more than any player on either team.

1. United played some fantastic football at times on Saturday, displaying exquisite one touch passing and lightening fast attacks, in a game that deservedly saw us pick up all three points. Like so many games before though, we just didn't kill it off, despite creating so many clear cut chances. It would be wrong to say we had a nerve-racking finish but it was nowhere near as comfortable as it should have been.

1. Ahead of kick-off I suggested that United give us a weekly surprise these days, whether it's because of the chosen starting line-up, the formation, the tactics, or the events of the game. The surprise for yesterday was conceding three goals in the first half, as well as scoring four of our own.

1. After picking up maximum points against the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle, Chelsea and Arsenal, ahead of the game I said I hoped that Aston Villa wouldn't be a banana skin for us. It's so typical of United to win the difficult games then throw it away against someone they should be battering. Villa have been awful this season so, even though they were playing home, should have provided United with an easy three points.

An incorrect match-defining decision was witnessed at Stamford Bridge on Sunday which likely had a huge impact on the result. Manchester United only won the game 3-2 but if Fernando Torres has been sent off for kicking Tom Cleverley in the chest in the first half, when Chelsea were still losing 2-1, who knows how many goals United would have won by.

1. Whilst it wasn't a brilliant performance from United last night, it was important that we sorted out our poor home form from the Champions League last season, so I'm more than happy with the three points. We'll have tougher opposition in Braga still to come but the win takes the pressure off the players a bit and keeps the press off our back.

1. Can you imagine being told in May that the next time we came to the Stadium of Light we would finish the game 18 points clear? I don't think anything could have brightened our mood that day but it certainly would have helped. If there was to be any silver lining to the painful last minute of last season it was that Sir Alex Ferguson could use the hurt and disappointment to our advantage.

When United were drawn against Real Madrid in the Last 16 of the Champions League we knew we had a battle on our hands. Whilst the Spaniards have failed to impress in La Liga there is no hiding the fact they currently have one of the best managers and squads in European football.

We may have breezed through our domestic season so far, despite not being too impressive for the first few months, but the Champions League is a totally different level, requiring more purposeful tactics and more solid performances.

1. Ahead of kick-off against Norwich there was the promise of extending our lead to 15 points clear at the top if we won. However, with Real Madrid to play on Tuesday, you had to wonder what sort of team Sir Alex Ferguson would go with. It was great to hear what an experienced side had been picked when the team news was announced.

1. It doesn't matter how many times we do it, winning games in the last minute feels fucking fantastic on every single occasion. To go behind three times, at home, was ridiculous and infuriating. Every time we clawed ourselves back in to the game we messed it up and let them take the lead again. In the first half, the players didn't even seem that bothered by the fact we were getting outplayed by a poor Newcastle team.

1. That was the best United performance for months. Newcastle had lost one game at home in 2012 and today we bossed them. We started the game brilliantly, at long last, and even when Newcastle started to come back in to the game, we managed to stop them from scoring. The ten minutes leading up to half-time were vital, with Newcastle looking more confident, so to go in 2-0 up was crucial.

1. From about ten minutes in to yesterday's game I was clock-watching at a rate I would usually expect in the last five minutes of a game, with United being dominated at the Bernabeu and Real Madrid looking as though they would score any minute. The defence were doing a decent enough job, David de Gea was at his best, but we still looked shaky and faced wave after wave of Real Madrid on the attack.

1. Ahead of kick-off I would have taken a point from this game, something Rio Ferdinand confessed in his post-match interview, but it's always going to be frustrating to concede with pretty much the last kick of the game. You're left to the stew on the fact if they could have just held on for a few more seconds we'd be 7 points clear.

1. No club has ever overturned a 12 points deficit with 12 games to go, which would make you think the title is ours this season, following our 2-0 win over Everton. Our 65 points from 26 games is a club record. As painful as last season was, you could argue that we are reaping the benefits of it now, with United determined to make amends and not throw away a title again.

1. Southampton had lost their opening two games of the season but had taken the lead twice against City at the Etihad, so they're not total mugs. They took the lead twice against us too but this game was at their place. Despite an impressive opening ten minutes, with United playing some great football, we just didn't get to grips with the game.

1. Ahead of kick-off I said that Stoke at home was a fixture United had to be winning, particularly with Chelsea making light work of the likes of Arsenal and Spurs away already this season. To have lost two games already is fairly disappointing but thankfully Chelsea are the only side to make us pay for this, so far.

1. A month ago today Manchester United were five points behind Manchester City at the top of the table. The blues' had a goal difference superior to ours by 13. We are now five points clear at the top with just one goal difference, with us now having scored more than them. By the time City next play, we could be eight points clear at the top, assuming we beat QPR at home.

1. A month ago today Manchester United were five points behind Manchester City at the top of the table. The blues' had a goal difference superior to ours by 13. We are now five points clear at the top with just one goal difference, with us now having scored more than them. By the time City next play, we could be eight points clear at the top, assuming we beat QPR at home.

1. When you go behind twice in a game you can't be too disappointed when you leave with a draw. United weren't good enough to take all three points and as frustrating as that may be we should be content enough with taking something out of the game. City drew 0-0 there and Chelsea lost 3-1 so we can't be too downbeat about it.

1. Another game at Old Trafford, another game that we were hanging on, but we got the win and restored our seven point lead. After Spurs scored that late equaliser in our last league game you wouldn't have imagined we would have been straight back in to this position, so there are no complaints from me.

1. Like a lot of fans, I would have happily taken a point from Sunday's game ahead of kick-off, with City having not lost at home in the league for two years and us just needing to draw to stay top of the league. With ten minutes played it looked as though we were going to have our work cut out to get a result.

1. Whenever a side sacks their manager you have to worry about what impact it will have on their players ahead of the next game. Mark Hughes, who has had a dismal time at QPR, was sacked before the game and new manager Harry Redknapp was watching from the stands. "There's only one Harry Redknapp!" the away fans sung and their players seemed genuinely motivated to perform.

1. In the newsletter I reflected on just how we times we've beaten Wigan 4 or 5 nil since our first ever match against them when they joined the Premier League in 2005. There were times yesterday when you had to doubt whether a 4-0 was on the cards but somehow, like we usually do against them, we stepped up our game to dish out a thrashing.