Reaction: Liverpool 0-1 Man Utd

1. Rooney smashes in after Fellaini hits bar
2. Strike was Man Utd's first on target
3. Van Gaal's side move up to fifth

Opta

Manchester United are shading the possession and territory stats - but haven't managed a single shot yet.

And now the 'never-going-to-score-from-there-itus' affects Jordan Henderson, who lines one up from over 35 yards and fires his shot well wide.

Reuters

Phil McNulty

BBC Sport chief football writer at Anfield

"43,865 inside Anfield today - and watching it shaping up between Lucas and Fellaini already."

Now it's getting tasty. Lucas and Marouane Fellaini come together again in a clash on the far side that brings 20 men together, shoving and pushing in the way football players do. Fellaini is the original perpetrator, for a shove on James Milner, which Lucas responded to with one of his own on the Belgian. Mark Clattenburg brings the two together and calms the situation. It is the first real sign, though, of the rage that has characterised this fixture.

Reuters

As we said a few moments ago, virtually all the play has been in the middle of the park - and here's the evidence. 

The heatmaps of each side (Liverpool on the left, United on the right) show that neither side has made much progress in the opposition penalty box.

In fact, James Milner's wayward shot is Liverpool's only touch inside the United area.

Opta

Marouane Fellaini is back on now, by the way, having received the required treatment.

Pat Nevin

Former Chelsea winger on BBC Radio 5 live

"Fellaini has taken a real whack on his cheekbone there and looks groggy. Lucas gets away with it. There has not been much quality in the game so far. Liverpool have tried one of their presses and it was awful, like a ramble of people running towards United."

Getty Images

A very optimistic effort from James Milner flies high and wide. The ball was swung over to him in the box but he was wide right and it would have taken something Van Basten-esque to find the net. I like Milner, but he is no Van Basten.

CLOSE!

As Marouane Fellaini receives treatment on the touchline, Liverpool come close to opening the scoring as Adam Lallana beats the United defence to a long ball forward and sees a header saved by advancing David de Gea before Robverto Firmino drives a low follow-up shot from the edge of the box a yard wide.

Reuters

The Manchester United fans have some special guests amongst them today. Phil Jones and Michael Carrick are there, sat in normal seats, like normal people.

Meanwhile, on the pitch, not much has happened yet, although Marouane Fellaini has taken a big whack to the head from Lucas, which leaves the Belgian down and needing treatment. For a second he looks like Mark de Mori in round one against David Haye.

Roy Hodgson is in the house. The England boss looks chuffed to be there as well.

Reuters

Daley Blind does indeed swing the ball into the box but Mamadou Sakho heads clear.

It is all very congested in midfield in the first few minutes. Neither team able to hold on to the ball for long. United's first real attack draws a foul from Jordan Henderson on Anthony Martial. Chance to swing the ball in...

Phil McNulty

BBC Sport chief football writer at Anfield

Manchester United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward looks happy and wreathed in smiles in the Anfield directors' box, warmly greeting Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton as they arrive, both wearing natty headwear to protect them from the freezing cold.

He'll be hoping he can still smile at the end of a crucial fixture for United and manager Louis van Gaal.

KICK-OFF

Game on.

I take it all back. No matter how many short sleeves are on display today, it can't make up for this. Have a look at yourself lads.

Manchester United players

LINE-UPS

To remind you, here are the teams...

Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Toure, Sakho, Moreno, Henderson, Lucas, Can, Lallana, Firmino, Milner. Subs: Benteke, Caulker, Allen, Ibe, Smith, Ward, Teixeira. 

Man Utd: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Blind, Darmian, Schneiderlin, Fellaini, Lingard, Ander Herrera, Martial, Rooney. Subs: Depay, Mata, Romero, Varela, McNair, Borthwick-Jackson, Andreas Pereira. 

Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)

Here come the players. Lots of short sleeves on show, even though it is ruddy freezing.

View from the gantry

Jonathan Pearce

Match of the Day commentator at Anfield

"It'll be rampantly passionate - and that's just Jurgen Klopp on the touchline. His team showed resilience to equalise late on against Arsenal but they do look jaded.

"Interestingly, though, from 1 December to 31 January they'll have played just one more game than Paris St Germain and one fewer than Barcelona. So much for the continental mid-season break making a huge difference!

"With Liverpool suspect every time the ball gets whipped into their box, Wayne Rooney could become the highest one-club Premier League scorer. But with good service, the maligned Christian Benteke could maintain his decent record against United in a likely draw."