Manchester City And Liverpool Share Anfield Spoils

The rankings were calculated by taking the average position of each team on the ballots of our participating voters. A total of 12 SB Nation team bloggers and three other SB Nation Soccer contributors elected to vote in this week’s poll.

4. Everton (4.47): Evertonians cannot ask for more after two wins from two so far. A battling win against United was followed up with a superb display against Aston Villa, with the only negative point perhaps being the fact they didn’t win by more than two goals.However, that would be being very picky. There is genuine optimism though as to what the team can achieve this season, provided we get lucky with injuries. (Thomas Mallows, Royal Blue Mersey)

Liverpool and Manchester City fought it out to a bizarre 2-2 draw at Anfield -- a better wordsmith might refer to this one as ‘riveting’ -- with the hosts twice taking the lead before gifting the defending champions a pair of equalisers.

It was an absolute peach of a free kick, and it was well worthy of winning the game. Unfortunately for Suarez, it wouldn’t. Skrtel had scored the opener, but he undid his great work with an absolutely stunning error, passing back for Reina without even checking to see whether there was anyone in the way. It turned out that there was, and Tevez was almost trembling with glee as he latched onto the backpass, juked past Reina, and slotted into the open goal.

And that’s how the first half ended. City have had most of the possession, but Liverpool have looked dangerous on the counterattack and have created more genuine chances. Deserved lead for the hosts, but we’ll see if they can keep it up.

The Gunners enjoyed the best of the play and the majority of possesion, but were unable to craft any clear chances to put themselves ahead. Santiago Cazorla looked the most likely source of an Arsenal goal, but could only test the keeper with a pair of long-range efforts in the first half.

For more on the Blues, head over to Chelsea FC blog We Ain’t Got No History. For more on the Magpies, check out Newcastle United blog Coming Home Newcastle.

Torres did not play very well for most of the first half and he regularly gave the ball away or stalled attacks by refusing to take on a defender, but he atoned for his errors with a stoppage time goal. Hazard set him up with a pretty back heel, and Torres finished with a nifty toe-poke from just inside the penalty area.

For more on the Blues, head over to Chelsea FC blog We Ain’t Got No History. For more on the Magpies, check out Newcastle United blog Coming Home Newcastle.

Fulham were much better in the second half, but they needed a gift from United to get back into the match. Nemanja Vidic made things interesting in the 64th minute when he turned in a terrible own goal. Alex Ferguson decided to play some risky tactics and attempt to hold onto his one-goal lead, a decision that eventually paid off.

Rooney came on as a substitute in the 68th minute and suffered his injury right as stoppage time began, when Hugo Rodellega accidentally stepped on his knee. He had a massive bloody gash that had to be taped up, and he was removed from the game on a stretcher.

*Although that doesn’t absolve the Villa midfield, who were standing around looking silly while Pienaar wound up for his thunderbolt.

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Rafael, Carrick, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Cleverley, Anderson, Kagawa, Young, van Persie. Bench: Lindegaard, Evans, Rooney, Giggs, Henandez, Welbeck, Scholes.

Fulham (4-4-2): Schwarzer, Riether, Hughes, Hangeland, Briggs, Duff, Ruiz, Diarra, Dembele, Kacaniklic, Petric. Bench: Stockdale, Kelly, Baird, Sidwell, Kasami, Rodallega, Halliche.

Wearside had been experiencing heavy rain all day, and with water building up across sections of the pitch, officials have decided to postpone the game, which was scheduled for 3pm BST, until a later date.

The late decision will not go down well with Reading fans, who will now face a 302-mile trip back to Berkshire.

Pick: Swansea, 3-1

Pick: Everton, 2-1