On this day in 2010, Liverpool suffered a disappointing 3-2 defeat away to rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Manager Roy Hodgson was just months into his tenure at Anfield and the Reds had won just one game all season, a 1-0 victory at home to West Brom. The visit to Manchester came just five games into the campaign but they were cruelly undone by a Dimitar Berbatov hat-trick.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side were firmly in control of the game as the former Bulgaria striker put United 1-0 up before half-time. He scored against shortly after the break, but Steven Gerrard offered Liverpool a glimmer of hope as he scored from the spot just after the hour mark.
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The ex-Liverpool captain then put his side back on level terms on 70 minutes, but Berbatov completed his hat-trick with just minutes left on the clock to ensure the home side secured all three points. Chelsea led the way at the top of the table, while Hodgson's side sat in 16-place.
It was a disappointing result in what was quickly becoming a very difficult job for new Reds boss Hodgson, but it was events off the pitch immediately after the game that saw the former Fulham manager's stock plummet further with Liverpool fans already suspicious of Rafa Benitez's replacement.
Indeed, while the United boss didn't hold back in his criticism of Liverpool in his post-match press conference, laying into the beaten Reds.
He told reporters: "At 2-0 it could have been a cricket score. Two-all was an absolute farce. It was a game we absolutely dominated and I was saying to myself, 'It could be 10.' So when it looked like ending 2-2, it would have been a travesty of a scoreline.
"They (Liverpool) had the momentum when it went to 2-2, but they never offered anything, did they? They had to depend on decisions from the linesman to get back into the game. The build-up to these games is such that, if one doesn't win, it's a catastrophe. For Liverpool, this is a catastrophe."
And while Hodgson, in response to the jibes from the United boss, described his opposite number's jibes as 'harsh', he chose not to stick up for his team - a mistake that seemingly played into Ferguson's hands.
"We have had a remarkably hard start to the season," the former Liverpool boss said. "But our performance today was a lot better than our last two (a 1-0 win over West Brom and a goal-less draw at Birmingham).
"We were playing against a top team and can take a lot of credit from the way we went about our business and got back into the game. Words like 'catastrophe' are a bit strong unless you are talking about the title. We are a long way behind Chelsea - so I suppose you could use the word 'catastrophe' for that.
"But at this early stage I can't be making those judgements. Our aim is to get better, to get to the Champions League and maybe that's where I have to have my focus."
He also failed to offer any backing to striker Fernando Torres, who was heavily criticised by the United boss after the game. Ferguson accused the Spain international of trying to get John O'Shea sent off.
"I've watched it and Torres made a meal out of it," Ferguson said. "He made an absolute meal of it to try to get our player sent off."
And Hodgson's response was tepid as he told reporters: "I prefer to talk about the game and issues that interest me. Sir Alex is entitled to his opinion but I'm not going say I agree or disagree.
"The ref handled the game well and I have an ambivalent attitude to such things. I'm not a lover of red cards for petty offences. My first thought was 'this is a foul' although it didn't merit a red."
Hodgson, unlike other Liverpool managers of the past, shared a close relationship with Ferguson. Rafa Benitez and the Scot shared a rivalry that spanned the entirety of the manager's time at Anfield and he was only ever referred to by the United boss by his surname.
There was far less animosity between Hodgson and Ferguson and the former England boss described the United manager as one of the 'greats'. "In my working lifetime I regard him as the greatest manager in English football," he said.
"I know Alex is not really a Liverpool man but I've spoken to him and, in a jocular way, I asked that now I have this job we don't speak to each other. He didn't put the phone down. He made some cutting remark but I can't remember what it was."
"I've always believed you don't have battles with other managers," Hodgson added. "Football teams have battles with other football teams, clubs have battles with other clubs. I've never subscribed to the theory that it's me and you. The 70,000 at Old Trafford turn up to watch the 22 actors on the field, not Alex and myself."
Following the defeat to United, Liverpool would have to wait a further month before picking up a win. They drew 2-2 at home to Sunderland in their following game, before suffering losses against Blackpool and Merseyside rivals Everton.
The Reds secured their second victory of the campaign in late October at home to Blackburn Rovers and they then picked up another two against Bolton Wanderers and Chelsea. Hodgson lasted less than a year in the dugout at Anfield before he parted ways with the club by 'mutual consent' in January 2011.
His business in the transfer market could be criticised, with the additions of Christian Poulsen and Paul Konchesky shortly after his arrival. And not long after the defeat to United, Liverpool were in League Cup action against League Two side Northampton Town.
The Reds were knocked out on penalties, but ahead of the game were described as a 'formidable challenge' by Hodgson. “They'll pressure us, they'll be young and athletic, and our scouts have been quite impressed by what they've seen," he said. "They'll be a formidable challenge - there's no question about that."
The soundbites aside, Liverpool's poor form that season meant it was no surprise the relationship between supporters and the manager quickly soured. And Hodgson's lack of fight in the face of Ferguson's criticism of Liverpool didn't help the future England manager as he hoped for fan support in the face of difficult results.
In total, he won just seven of the 20 Premier League games he was in charge of and the Reds were 12th when he left the club midway through the campaign.
Club legend Kenny Dalglish was then appointed for the remainder of the campaign, taking Liverpool to a sixth placed finish.
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