Premier League - Rampant Liverpool embarrass awful United at Old Trafford
Steven Gerrard of Liverpool celebrates scoring the first goal with his team-mates against Manchester United at Old Trafford (Getty)
Premier League, Old Trafford - Manchester United 0 Liverpool 3 (Gerrard pen 34, pen 46, Suarez 84)
Liverpool gleefully enforced their superiority over Manchester United when scoring two penalties and missing another in a 3-0 hammering at Old Trafford.
Brendan Rodgers' side were superior in all facets of the game and as United struggled for any kind of fluency in attack, their defence proved culpable too with Rafael guilty of a deliberate handball on 33 minutes when knocking the ball away from Luis Suarez. Gerrard struck the penalty home with venom; Rafael looked rather sheepish despite somehow avoiding a second yellow card from Mark Clattenburg.
It took all of 44 minutes for an inhibited, sluggish United to fashion their first shot on target when Rooney saw his firm effort palmed away by Simon Mignolet, but hopes of an improved second-half display were dashed within seconds of the restart as Phil Jones clumsily barged into Joe Allen from behind.
Gerrard confidently found the corner once again to score his eighth penalty of the season, and it was no more than an inhibited, sluggish United deserved as they stumbled their way through the game with Moyes apparently unable to change the course of the contest.
On 77 minutes, United conceded a third penalty when Daniel Sturridge cynically threw himself to ground to fool Clattenburg and get Nemanja Vidic shown a second yellow card. However, Gerrard struck the post to deny himself a hat-trick before Sturridge was denied what appeared another penalty just minutes later.
Suarez rounded off the scoring on 84 minutes when tucking the ball home neatly from Sturridge’s scuffed ball, leaving Liverpool dreaming of the title and United - stuck in seventh, 14 points below their rivals - in the depths of despair.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool): Scored twice from the spot – even if he should have had a third – but perhaps even more importantly helped Liverpool win the midfield battle with ease. He snapped into tackles and spread the ball around to provide the foundation for Liverpool’s win.
PLAYER RATINGS
Man Utd: De Gea 6, Rafael 6, Jones 5, Vidic 5, Evra 5, Mata 5, Fellaini 5, Carrick 4, Januzaj 5, Rooney 5, Van Persie 5. Subs: Ferdinand N/A, Cleverley 5, Welbeck 5.
Liverpool: Mignolet 6, Johnson 6, Skrtel 7, Agger 6, Flanagan 6, Gerrard 9, Allen 8, Henderson 8, Sterling 7, Suarez 8, Sturridge 7. Subs: Lucas N/A, Coutinho 7, Aspas N/A.