TEAMtalk looks back at a frenetic match at Anfield as Liverpool edged to a 2-1 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Manchester United.

As the central figure in this performance, Patrice Evra was always likely to have a pivotal role in the overall assessment.

And, just as in October, Evra left Anfield with a very bitter taste.

If there is a consolation for the Frenchman, it is this. At least the devastation was confined to the result of a frenetic FA Cup tie and the knowledge he was the nearest man to Dirk Kuyt when he thrashed home his winner two minutes from time.

And, for all the vitriol and scorn that poured down from the stands in the 88 minutes before, the game will be remembered for the football, just as Kenny Dalglish and Sir Alex Ferguson had hoped.

Greater Manchester Police will also have reason to be thankful for avoiding having to control a replay, just days before a Premier League meeting at Old Trafford on February 11 that will mark Luis Suarez's first away game since his racism ban came to an end.

Poisonous is the word that tends to describe the atmosphere on these occasions at the best of times.

The heightened tensions surrounding this particular meeting only increased fears of what might happen.

Yet, when the United team bus arrived approximately 75 minutes before kick-off, it did so to nothing more sinister than a chorus of boos, which reached their peak when Evra disembarked.

It wasn't until half an hour later, when a significant number of the 5,200 visiting supporters were escorted to the stadium, that it became clear battle lines had been drawn.

Anti-racism messages were posted around the ground and warnings issued over the tannoy as fans made their way into the stadium.

"We're not racist, we only hate Mancs," sang Liverpool.

"Always the victim, it's never your fault," came one of the less unsavoury responses.

Evra was booed throughout. Suarez had earlier walked round the perimeter of the pitch an hour before kick-off with his daughter to grateful applause.

The thing is, all the off-field distractions took away from what was supposed to be the main event.

United and Liverpool are not England's best two teams and haven't been for a long time.

They are the most successful though and their proximity means any such confrontation carries worldwide resonance.

So, now the entire planet knows David de Gea is enduring a bit of a nightmare.

Signed from Atletico Madrid for £18million in the summer as Edwin van der Sar's replacement, the 21-year-old returned to Sir Alex Ferguson's starting line-up after featuring in just one of the Red Devils' last six games.

His problem has been clear. De Gea lacks the height, weight and sheer presence to command his penalty area.

As he tried unsuccessfully to barge his way past Andy Carroll and get to the cross Agger headed into an empty net, it was easy to imagine Peter Schmeichel flattening everyone in his path, then roaring his displeasure at his team-mates for having the temerity to get in the great Dane's way.

Of course, Schmeichels and Van der Sars do not come around too often.

And De Gea was not the only one who stood accused of being weak; Jose Enrique's attempt to halt Rafael in the build-up to United's equaliser was just as poor.

However, in a goalkeeper, it tends to be a fatal flaw and De Gea's hesitant display thereafter left United on a knife-edge which, on the basis of their overall performance, they did not deserve to be.

And how it came to haunt them at the end.

By Simon Stone