Two weeks is a long time in football.

A fortnight ago Manchester United’s position at the top of the Premier¹ League seemed unassailable 攻不破的.

Now they are just one point ahead of Liverpool after losing their last two games.

And while Manchester United are asking themselves what has happened to their season, Liverpool are enjoying a spell of unbridled success 大胜/狂胜.

Liverpool have been on fire 势头强大的 of late, scoring 13 goals in their last three games, culminating 达到高峰 in the 5-0 pasting 击败 handed to Aston Villa² on Sunday.

It seems that the Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez can afford a little understatement 保守的说法 given the form his team is in.

"We were scoring goals but didn’t play particularly well," said Benitez, describing Sunday’s 5-0 victory.

"Someone asked me why I was not smiling during the game," Benitez continued, "it was because I wanted more goals."

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who scored his first Premiership hat-trick 帽子戏法/一人进三球 in the Aston Villa game, was eager to get his third goal in case his manager decided³ to take him off.

"You always worry if you’ll get the chance to complete the hat-trick when Rafa’s in charge," said Gerrard.

"He might take you off when you’re on two just to keep your feet on the ground," Gerrard added, meaning the manager wants to stop his players from becoming big-headed 自大的.

Benitez seemed to be keeping his feet on the ground when he summed up Liverpool’s hopes of overtaking⁴ 超越 Manchester United and winning the league for the first time since 1990.

"If United do make mistakes, we must be ready, and that means carrying on doing what we are doing and winning points," Benitez said.

And making mistakes is exactly what Manchester United have been doing.

Two United players were sent off 被罚下场 during Saturday’s game against Fulham which Manchester United lost 2-0, and three key players 关键球员 are suspended⁵ 停赛 for their next league game.

But United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is not throwing in the towel 放弃 just yet.

"If you lose games in March and April it can cost you. Fortunately we have a slender⁶ lead 微弱领先 at the moment but not a lot and I'm hoping we come back from the internationals back to our best," said Sir Alex.