English Premier League, Sunday Review: Dimitar Berbatov Hat-Trick Prevents Third Manchester United Collapse

Call Dimitar Berbatov’s opening to the 2010-11 season a personal resurgence, but after his Sunday hat-trick against Liverpool, that description may understate his form. With a league-leading six goals in five matches, Berbatov may be experiencing the high point of his club career - results coupled with the redemption of reversing two years of sub-par play, debunking much of the corresponding ridicule. More important (in the short term), Berbatov’s prevented another Manchester United collapse, leading the Red Devils to a 3-2 victory over their biggest rivals.

For the third time this year, Manchester United lost a lead late, but unlike the draws at Fulham and Everton, United had enough time to comeback and get three points. Their mid-week trip to Scunthorpe United (League Cup) should prevent people from dwelling on the collapse, but as next Sunday’s trip to Bolton approaches, talk should center around how United’s defense will hold-up if up, late, and having to deal with Kevin Davies and Johan Elmander pounding away in the middle of the area.

Fortunately for Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand should be back at that point. Ferdinand was a late scratch on Sunday with an illness, but having been scheduled to play against Liverpool, we can assume Ferdinand will make the trip to Bolton. While experience and leadership tend to be used as analytical crutches, they’re tools that seem appropriate here. I can’t help but think at least one of the Fulham or Everton collapses would have been avoided had Ferdinand played. Having his captain-like leadership at the back to help keep United organized and focus could have prevented comebacks that took advantage of ... well, a lack of organization and focus.

Ferdinand’s presence may not have helped against Liverpool, who failed to score from open play. Steve Gerrard’s goals came from penalty and direct kicks, and while Liverpool played much better in the second half, that was relative to an inept first half. The scoreline flattered the Reds, who at times looked similar to the team that was dominated by Manchester City. While the team deserves credit for scratching their way back into the match, Liverpool has yet to show themselves capable of competing for Europe, let alone restoring the club to a place amongst the league’s elite.

Where Liverpool sits in the league is still unknown, a status we won’t be able to accurately assess until their best players start playing to their normal standards. Fernando Torres’s troubles continue. Steven Gerrard, brace aside, has lacked the dynamism that he showed two years ago. Joe Cole was both un-influential and sometimes out-worked on Sunday. Jamie Carragher’s descent continues.

Some of these players have played this way for so long, we may need to consider whether we’re seeing their true value. Is the Steve Gerrard of 2008-09 nothing more than a memory? Was the hype around Joe Cole ever sufficiently grounded in reality? Can Liverpool justify starting Jamie Carragher ahead of Daniel Agger?

But the bigger questions continue to surround Fernando Torres. In a fixture that he has dominated over the last two years, Torres was relatively absent from Sunday’s proceedings. Against United, though, that status seemed less Torres’s problem than Manchester United’s defending and a lack of support from his teammates. Still, Liverpool was missing the player that regularly beat Nemanja Vidic. They were missing the guy who scored in the fifth minute of their last derby. And beyond this fixture, it’s difficult to see Liverpool being viable European contenders if Torres doesn’t approach his expected form.

Whereas Carragher and Gerrard are aging and Cole was probably never as good as the hype, the 26-year-old Torres should be in the middle of his career’s prime. The easiest explanation: Torres isn’t fully healthy, but at some point, we should ask why he’s not getting better.

Chelsea, City Get Results Ahead of Saturday’s Meeting

Chelsea’s easy ride is over, but give the Blues credit. They did was well as we could have imagined in their first five matches. While none of the opponents were very good, Chelsea posted a +20 goal difference while accumulating their 15 points.

Their 4-0 win Sunday over Blackpool saw them lead for 88 minutes in their final match before next Saturday’s trip to Eastlands. Be it in league, Champions League or this week’s League Cup, Chelsea will have gone without significant tests before visiting City, a team that took six points from them last season. If Chelsea wins next week, all caveats will be gone.

For their part, City will come into their match with some momentum, recording two, 2-0 wins this week. The second saw City get goals from Carlos Tévez and Yaya Touré in beating Wigan at the DW. The win moves City into fourth place, having only allowed two goals in their five league matches.