I had three touches against Liverpool but my Manchester United goal was better than beating them 5-0

The idea of Manchester United winning the treble was almost over before it had even taken hold. It was January in 1999 and inside Old Trafford it was 8,000 Liverpool fans making all the noise.

Michael Owen's third-minute header had Gerard Houllier's team on course for an FA Cup fourth-round win, leaving United to focus on a tense title race and their ongoing efforts to conquer Europe. Just two minutes were left to play.

At this stage of the season. nobody was really talking about the treble. United had won just five of their last 14 games in all competitions and in the third round of the cup, they had been 1-0 down to Middlesbrough with 22 minutes to play before winning 3-1.

Old Trafford wasn't on the edge of its seat because the treble dream was dying. The fans were going through the mill because of the prospect of Liverpool winning on enemy territory in a knockout game. But then, everything changed.

Alex Ferguson, pre-Knighthood, had thrown on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to play alongside Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole, moving to three at the back. As United piled the pressure on, Yorke equalised after 88 minutes and Solskjaer won it just over a minute into injury time. At the time, little did anybody realise just how important that win - and the manner of it - would turn out to be.

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"The season really started with the Liverpool game," said Gary Neville. Looking back, it is the moment the dream of winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League began to crystalise. It is a valuable barometer not just for surviving in the cup, but for showing that ability to rescue games from almost impossible situations that would prove so invaluable as the season progressed.

The start was a nightmare, however. Owen rising unmarked