Little Pea sinks Valencia

No Rooney, no problem. Valencia's Pablo Hernandez may have provided the magic in the Mestalla last night but it was his namesake, Javier, who supplied the only touch that really mattered to give Manchester United a vital Champions League win in Spain.

The young Mexican they call Chicharito, or the Little Pea, struck his first competitive goal since a £7million summer move from Chivas five minutes from time after coming on as a substitute for Anderson.

Missed Opportunity - United held by Bolton

Owen leaps to nod United's second of the afternoon

Nani's solo run and fine finish levelled for United in the first half

With Chelsea and Arsenal beaten on Saturday, United failed to capitalize on catching up with the league leader.

In fact, United should be thankful to M.Owen for rescuing them a point. The defence is really a big worry this season. Failed to win in the 3rd consecutive away game and leaking at the back is costly.

The Interview with Modest Mitko

After being interview by Sky Sports after our 3-2 win over Liverpool, Dimitar Berbatov gave an interview with a Bulgarian TV network in his native tongue.

Here is the translation, with Berbatov being referred to as Mitko, the name he is known by in his home country.

Mitko you have had a troubled time…

I wouldn’t say troubled. I am not troubled. I am lucky. I have loved my time here.

A disappointing time. Would you say that?

I was disappointed with myself that I could not please all the supporters. I have said before the people of Manchester United are the judges and that is the way it should be. It is their team. I am a guest. A privileged guest.

This season what has changed?

Man, I don’t know but I’m just so happy. So confident. I feel like everything I imagine on the pitch will come true and that feels awesome. I have worked hard on my fitness. So hard. I’m not a weights guy, I’m sure you can see by my body, but I have been trying even to work on that. I ran 6 miles every day during the off season. I watched one World Cup match, went for a run. Then watched another and went for another run. This was my routine.

Wow…you must be tired!

No man that’s the thing. This crowd at Old Trafford. The way I feel right now. I’m not tired. I feel alive. I have always said I am so lucky to play here. For these people. For this manager. For this club. With these players. I can’t describe it man.

It is showing. Keep it up Mitko. What will you do now. Will you watch your goals?

No. Noooooooo! I can’t watch myself. Even when I came off and everyone was applauding I felt so shy. I love it but I don’t know how to react to it. I’m going to go home. Play with my family and maybe watch a movie later. I can’t wait for training. How weird is that?!

Berbatov transition complete (Soccernet)

There are moments when footballers become Manchester United players. They rarely involve signing a contract or posing with a shirt, either. For Cristiano Ronaldo, it came upon his debut with the series of stepovers that bewildered Bolton and enchanted Old Trafford; Wayne Rooney made an immediate impression when his first start brought a hat-trick against Fenerbahce.

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Dimitar Berbatov scored a hat-trick as Man Utd beat their rivals.

To the delight of his admirers and the despair of his detractors, Dimitar Berbatov has long lived life at his own pace. The man who strolls where others sprint took the long route to arrive but, 25 months and 92 games later, he has got there. The most expensive player in the club's history has displaced Rooney as United's form striker and given definitive proof he belongs at the club. More significantly, he has defeated Liverpool, if not single-handedly then at least with a hat-trick that contained flair and, more surprisingly, force.

And, of course, he did it for a club who savour Liverpool's setbacks. Diego Forlan, otherwise a failure at Old Trafford, is still remembered in song ("He came from Uruguay; he made the Scousers cry") for a brace that owed much to goalkeeping error. No such generosity was afforded to Berbatov; none was needed either.

There have always been examples of the talent that tempted Sir Alex Ferguson to part with £30.75 million, the instances of technique and vision that lesser players can never possess. Yet the charge sheet includes a seeming indifference and a lack of goals in season-defining fixtures. In one fell swoop, that was remedied. The daddy of all derbies, as Ferguson has branded England's superclasico, was decided.

First he rose above his lacklustre marker Fernando Torres to head in Ryan Giggs' corner and somewhere in the Milan area, a man with a questionable beard and an infamous interest in facts may have reiterated the merits of his beloved zonal marking system as, while Torres' efforts at Birmingham were not (despite the opinions of a former Liverpool captain) 'diabolical', this was a dire attempt to halt Berbatov. In a league where conspicuous effort counts for much, Berbatov appeared to want it more.

His second goal was, to use Roy Hodgson's description, a work of "genius". Nani's cross was controlled on Berbatov's thigh, followed by a glorious overhead kick that went in off the bar. To score a goal-of-the-season contender in one of the year's defining fixtures is a mark of brilliance and Ferguson said: "I don't see many overhead kicks come off. It's a fantastic sight. It kisses the underside of the bar - marvellous."

Then, after Steven Gerrard had struck twice in a Liverpool comeback, Berbatov leapt above a static Jamie Carragher to head in John O'Shea's cross. It seemed uncharacteristically physical for the Bulgarian, a man who can resemble a black-and-white film star in the days of 3D action blockbusters. Yet it was a sign that he has adapted his game to become the unlikely alpha male of United's attack. After powering past Sylvain Distin to score last week, he is taking on centre-backs at their supposed strengths.

It was the first United hat-trick against Liverpool since Stan Pearson in 1946 and vindication for the man who authorised his purchase. While nevertheless omitting his costliest buy from many of the major fixtures, Ferguson has doubled up as Berbatov's bodyguard in the last two years, so often has he defended the Bulgarian.

Now vindicated, he said: "There was a lot of criticism from the media and it happens when you buy a player for a lot of money and he's not scoring a hat-trick every game. It happens. This season he has started in the right fashion. His pre-season has been very good, and there's never any doubt about the quality of the man. We've seen it again today."

Victory notwithstanding, Ferguson nevertheless seemed spoiling for a fight (a more diplomatic Hodgson was unwilling to accede) by seeming to suggest the result was "a catastrophe" for Liverpool and questioning the validity of their comeback.

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Liverpool players leave the field following the Old Trafford defeat

Gerrard displayed admirable composure to halve the deficit from the spot after Jonny Evans tripped a turning Torres and he followed suit when he restored parity with a free-kick that pierced a faulty wall after O'Shea tugged the Spaniard back. Some felt the Irishman was unfortunate only to see yellow, but the United manager contended: "Definitely Torres made a meal of it to try and get the player sent off. They didn't offer anything. They had to depend upon decisions from the linesman to get them back in the game." Hodgson's was a fairer appraisal. "Our downfall was due to the fact we should have defended better for that third goal," the Liverpool manager said. That, and Berbatov's development from source of frustration to cause for celebration at Old Trafford.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Dimitar Berbatov - Deserves the award for the overhead kick alone. It was a special hat-trick to cap an outstanding start to the season and keep United in touch with Chelsea.

MANCHESTER UNITED VERDICT: They were the better team, even if Ferguson's view that his side could have scored ten times is an exaggeration. Nani, who struck the post and got an assist, ensured the injured Antonio Valencia was not missed. That Javier Hernandez and Ji-Sung Park weren't even on the bench suggests their manager wasn't impressed with their displays against Rangers.

A touch of genius from Berbatov! MU 3 Liverpool 2

A superb Dimitar Berbatov hat-trick — the first by a United player against Liverpool for 64 years — ensured Ferguson’s team stayed in touch with Chelsea at the top of the table. This guy finally arrived at Old Trafford today. Nobody can doubt him now.

As well as two brilliant headers, Berbatov managed to deliver that touch of genius (or touches, if truth be told) with his second.

First came the touch that controlled Nani’s chipped cross, then the stunning over-head kick that beat Pepe Reina via the underside of the crossbar.

‘You must persevere and trust your judgement, you must have faith, and I think we are being rewarded this season for our confidence in him,’ said Ferguson.

Six goals in five matches — seven in six if we include the Community Shield — would certainly suggest Berbatov is starting to feel comfortable as a United player.

Berbatov said: ‘It was a magical day. It was special for me to score a hat-trick against our greatest rivals. But when I go home, to my kids, I am not that special.’

Tonight you're special. In everybody's eye! Welcome to Old Trafford.

Gary Neville: 599 and Going

Ferguson confirmed that club captain Gary Neville will no longer skipper the team on match days, leaving that honour to Nemanja Vidic or Rio Ferdinand.

Vidic captained the side at Everton in Ferdinand's absence and one of the two will do so on Tuesday night as the latter returns from a knee injury. The United manager said: 'If Gary was available all the time he would be the captain. But I have to look at the overall picture.

'With all due respect to Gary's time at United, he knows we don't play him every week. I am looking for someone who is going to play every week as part of the criteria to be captain.

Gary is still going strong and looking forward to register his 600th game for United. Amazing player.

Goodison's Final Minute Agony

Scholes delivered a superb crossfield pass to Berbatov, who made light of Sylvain Distin with a feint, took one touch and then struck low past Howard with the outside of his foot

Everton scored twice in stoppage time to snatch a dramatic 3-3 draw at home to Manchester United, who left Wayne Rooney out of their squad after a week of allegations about his private life.

Rooney did not even travel to Goodison Park as manager Sir Alex Ferguson, on the occasion of his 700th Premier League match, claimed he wanted to protect the 24-year-old from abuse from the fans with whom he used to be a favourite.

The disruption appeared to affect his team-mates early on as they fell behind to a Steven Pienaar goal but Darren Fletcher, Nemanja Vidic and Dimitar Berbatov put United well ahead before the Toffees' stunning late comeback through Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta.