Brendan Rodgers as they capitalised on some poor defending to run out
comfortable victors at Old Trafford.
Rodgers - who dropped struggling goalkeeper Simon Mignolet for Brad
Jones - can point to a succession of brilliant saves from United's
David De Gea and a controversial second goal from Juan Mata as
significant factors in defeat.
This, however, will do little to ease the growing concerns for Rodgers
and Liverpool, with the memory of their thrilling 3-0 win here in
March - in a sequence that almost took them to their first title in 24
years - seeming an age away.
United captain Wayne Rooney gave them an early lead and Liverpool had
every right to feel aggrieved when Mata headed in from a clearly
offside position to take the game away from them just before
half-time.
Even before United took the lead, De Gea made an important save from
Raheem Sterling, denying the England youngster on four occasions as
well as producing three vital contributions to stop Liverpool
substitute Mario Balotelli getting his first Premier League goal for
the club.
Robin van Persie's third for United at the end of a lightning
counter-attack only added to Liverpool's pain and gave the scoreline a
lopsided look given the amount of work done by De Gea.
United's sixth successive league win continued United's resurgence
under manager Louis van Gaal and put Liverpool's decline since they
came so close to winning the Premier League into even sharper relief.
Liverpool now trail third-placed United by 10 points.
Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group, intend to give Rodgers until
the end of the season at least to turn matters around given the credit
he still has after last season, but after a miserable Champions League
campaign was confirmed by their exit at the group stage following the
midweek draw with Basel, these are crucial days for the northern
Irishman.
He now faces a huge seven days with a Capital One Cup quarter-final at
Championship leaders Bournemouth on Wednesday before Arsenal visit
Anfield next weekend.
The reshuffled team sent out at Old Trafford by Rodgers gave Liverpool
and their manager cause for optimism in an energetic early spell but
the momentum shifted crucially in the 13th minute as De Gea saved from
Sterling at one end and Rooney scored at the other.
In the space of 25 seconds, Liverpool should have taken the lead but
then found themselves behind as Antonio Valencia nutmegged Joe Allen
and pulled the ball back for Rooney, who scored with Jones diving in
the wrong direction.
De Gea thwarted Sterling - utilised as a lone striker - once more
before United doubled their lead in controversial fashion five minutes
before half-time.
Mata was clearly offside when he headed in after Van Persie got a
slight touch to Ashley Young's cross. There was daylight between Mata
and the last Liverpool defender, so it can only be assumed linesman
Mike Mullarkey did not believe Van Persie got a touch.
Juan Mata appeared to be offside when he made it 2-0 to Manchester United
It was a demoralising blow for Liverpool who, having had to replace
Glen Johnson with Kolo Toure in the first half after he suffered a
groin injury, replaced Adam Lallana with Balotelli at the restart.
Whereas United had taken the chances that had come their way,
Liverpool had wasted every opportunity, as Sterling did once more
early in the second half.
Michael Carrick, who had been immaculate, inexplicably allowed Jonny
Evans' pass to roll straight to Sterling, who hesitated, even when he
seemed to have rounded De Gea, allowing the goalkeeper to get back and
save.
De Gea's development into a world-class goalkeeper has been confirmed
by a series of stellar performances this season and he showed his
quality and reflexes again to turn Balotelli's close-range shot on to
the bar.
The difference between the sides was illustrated once more as Van
Persie wrapped up United's win. Dejan Lovren scooped Rooney's pass
hopelessly into the path of Mata, who found Van Persie to score, with
Jones once again on the wrong foot.
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