<p>Manchester United wasted the chance to start the new year at the top of the Premier League when they were stunned 3-2 by strugglers Blackburn Rovers on Saturday to spoil manager Alex Ferguson's 70th birthday. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Blackburn, who started the day bottom of the table, had taken an unlikely 2-0 lead early in the second half thanks to a Yakubu double before the injury-ravaged champions drew level through two Dimitar Berbatov goals. <br /><br />United had needed a point to ensure they would finish the year in top spot with leaders Manchester City not playing until Sunday but Grant Hanley's 80th-minute winner for Blackburn stopped them in their tracks. <br /><br />“Obviously it's a disappointment...We never expected that,” Ferguson told ESPN television, “We lost two terrible goals in a game, you can't do that in games like this.”<br />Defeat leaves United with 45 points from 19 games, behind City on goal difference. Roberto Mancini's side can go three points clear with a victory at Sunderland. <br /><br />The party atmosphere around Old Trafford, where fans had stood up to sing “Happy Birthday” to Ferguson, was silenced after a quarter of an hour when Berbatov grabbed Rovers defender Christopher Samba's shirt and pulled him to the ground. <br /><br />Referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot and Yakubu sent ’keeper David de Gea the wrong way before casually slotting the ball in to give under-fire Steve Kean's side a shock lead. As if to prove it was no fluke, Yakubu extended the visitors' lead six minutes after the break when he shrugged off the challenges by Phil Jones and temporary centreback Michael Carrick to shoot past De Gea. <br /><br />Blackburn fans were still celebrating the goal when Berbatov headed in Rafael's mis-hit shot to pull one back for the hosts and raise home fans' hopes of a comeback. <br /><br />The Bulgarian striker, who hit five goals past Blackburn in this fixture last season, found the net again just after the hour when he turned in an Antonio Valencia cross. <br /><br />United continued to press forward looking for the winner before a blunder by De Gea destroyed his side's fightback. <br /><br />The Spanish ’keeper came out to meet a Morten Gamst Pedersen corner but Hanley beat him to it and the 20-year-old defender headed in a winner that lifted Blackburn to 18th place in the 20-team table. <br /><br />“It's great to win and great to win in a place like this ... it can be a springboard for us,” Blackburn manager Kean, who has faced repeated calls from fans to resign, told ESPN. <br />Steven Gerrard’s huge influence on Liverpool was clearly apparent again on Friday as he took just 31 minutes to inspire a 3-1 win over Newcastle United in his team's final fixture of the year. Gerrard, who said he was looking forward to seeing the back of 2011 after missing several months with a groin injury and an ankle infection, was introduced as a 59th-minute substitute with the score 1-1 and Newcastle looking strong. <br /><br />By the final whistle the England international had scored the third goal, provided three clear-cut chances for Andy Carroll and lifted the quality and confidence of a team that had previously won only three times at home in the league this season. <br /><br />Welsh striker Craig Bellamy netted twice against his former club but so convincing was Gerrard's cameo display that the fit-again midfielder was named man of the match. <br /><br />“To get on the scoresheet and get three points was a perfect return,” the 31-year-old Gerrard told Sky Sports. “I have had a terrible year with a lot of injuries but I just want to look forward.”<br /><br />Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said: “Steven has a wee bit of mileage left in him yet. Today was a great reward for him and everybody who has helped him get back to fitness.”<br /><br />With 12 minutes remaining Gerrard made a well-timed run into the penalty area, and after being found by a neat Jordan Henderson pass, he slipped the ball underneath Newcastle keeper Tim Krul from a narrow angle. <br /><br />It was enough to move Liverpool (34 points from 19 games) up into fifth place before Saturday's main programme of fixtures. Newcastle (30) are seventh. <br /></p>
<p>Manchester United wasted the chance to start the new year at the top of the Premier League when they were stunned 3-2 by strugglers Blackburn Rovers on Saturday to spoil manager Alex Ferguson's 70th birthday. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Blackburn, who started the day bottom of the table, had taken an unlikely 2-0 lead early in the second half thanks to a Yakubu double before the injury-ravaged champions drew level through two Dimitar Berbatov goals. <br /><br />United had needed a point to ensure they would finish the year in top spot with leaders Manchester City not playing until Sunday but Grant Hanley's 80th-minute winner for Blackburn stopped them in their tracks. <br /><br />“Obviously it's a disappointment...We never expected that,” Ferguson told ESPN television, “We lost two terrible goals in a game, you can't do that in games like this.”<br />Defeat leaves United with 45 points from 19 games, behind City on goal difference. Roberto Mancini's side can go three points clear with a victory at Sunderland. <br /><br />The party atmosphere around Old Trafford, where fans had stood up to sing “Happy Birthday” to Ferguson, was silenced after a quarter of an hour when Berbatov grabbed Rovers defender Christopher Samba's shirt and pulled him to the ground. <br /><br />Referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot and Yakubu sent ’keeper David de Gea the wrong way before casually slotting the ball in to give under-fire Steve Kean's side a shock lead. As if to prove it was no fluke, Yakubu extended the visitors' lead six minutes after the break when he shrugged off the challenges by Phil Jones and temporary centreback Michael Carrick to shoot past De Gea. <br /><br />Blackburn fans were still celebrating the goal when Berbatov headed in Rafael's mis-hit shot to pull one back for the hosts and raise home fans' hopes of a comeback. <br /><br />The Bulgarian striker, who hit five goals past Blackburn in this fixture last season, found the net again just after the hour when he turned in an Antonio Valencia cross. <br /><br />United continued to press forward looking for the winner before a blunder by De Gea destroyed his side's fightback. <br /><br />The Spanish ’keeper came out to meet a Morten Gamst Pedersen corner but Hanley beat him to it and the 20-year-old defender headed in a winner that lifted Blackburn to 18th place in the 20-team table. <br /><br />“It's great to win and great to win in a place like this ... it can be a springboard for us,” Blackburn manager Kean, who has faced repeated calls from fans to resign, told ESPN. <br />Steven Gerrard’s huge influence on Liverpool was clearly apparent again on Friday as he took just 31 minutes to inspire a 3-1 win over Newcastle United in his team's final fixture of the year. Gerrard, who said he was looking forward to seeing the back of 2011 after missing several months with a groin injury and an ankle infection, was introduced as a 59th-minute substitute with the score 1-1 and Newcastle looking strong. <br /><br />By the final whistle the England international had scored the third goal, provided three clear-cut chances for Andy Carroll and lifted the quality and confidence of a team that had previously won only three times at home in the league this season. <br /><br />Welsh striker Craig Bellamy netted twice against his former club but so convincing was Gerrard's cameo display that the fit-again midfielder was named man of the match. <br /><br />“To get on the scoresheet and get three points was a perfect return,” the 31-year-old Gerrard told Sky Sports. “I have had a terrible year with a lot of injuries but I just want to look forward.”<br /><br />Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said: “Steven has a wee bit of mileage left in him yet. Today was a great reward for him and everybody who has helped him get back to fitness.”<br /><br />With 12 minutes remaining Gerrard made a well-timed run into the penalty area, and after being found by a neat Jordan Henderson pass, he slipped the ball underneath Newcastle keeper Tim Krul from a narrow angle. <br /><br />It was enough to move Liverpool (34 points from 19 games) up into fifth place before Saturday's main programme of fixtures. Newcastle (30) are seventh. <br /></p>
