Man United 0-3 Liverpool: Two Gerrard penalties and Suarez down Moyes' woeful Reds at Old Trafford... and skipper misses third spot-kick as Vidic is sent off

Unbelievable: Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring the third in the 3-0 win at Old Trafford

Mind the gap: Liverpool are now 14 points clear of United and just four points off leaders Chelsea

Slotted home: Suarez scores to round off the 3-0 victory and put Liverpool to within four points of Chelsea

Contrast: Suarez gives his side the thumbs up as Wayne Rooney complains to his team-mates

Togetherness: Liverpool were outstanding at Old Trafford, despite United's indiscipline

All together: Liverpool boosted their title hopes with the win at Old Trafford

Up and down: United are now 14 points behind Liverpool, who are now major contenders for the title

Penalty king: Gerrard celebrates scoring his second from the spot just after half-time at Old Trafford

One up: Liverpool's Steven Gerrard scores the opening goal of the game from the penalty spot

Moyes: Manchester United must become harder to defeat

Rodgers: I have empathy with Moyes

Accusation: Nemanja Vidic screams at Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge after conceding the third penalty

Disbelief: Manchester United fans show their emotions in the stands as their side crumble

Risky challenge: Sturridge is awarded a penalty kick from a challenge by Nemanja Vidic

No need: Phil Jones clumsily hauled down Joe Allen inside the area just after the break

All yours: Gerrard celebrates as Wayne Rooney scratches his head in dismay

Back again: Gerrard celebrates scoring the second goal by kissing the camera, just as he did five years ago

Jubliation: Gerrard and Suarez slide in front of the travelling Liverpool fans after going 2-0 up

Everywhere: Steven Gerrard's touch map at Old Trafford (attacking goal at top)

Yet this would do Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers a terrible disservice. They won thanks to their own sharpness and good planning, not merely because United are a team in steep decline.

Liverpool had the better defence, the livelier midfield, the most dangerous forward line. Only Wayne Rooney, of the men in red, did not deserve to be on the losing side and even his performance was more perspiration than inspiration.

As for Liverpool, where to start? How about at left-back where in Jon Flanagan the club appears to have found its equivalent of Gary Neville: the local lad with a grudge against the rivals and a uniquely personal appreciation of this fixture.

Flanagan – sent off in a reserve match here last season for a minor assault on Adnan Januzaj – embodied Liverpool’s spirit. His energy level, his combativeness, were both on the north side of high.

He was first in the book after 31 minutes but that didn’t stop him clattering into Rafael in the second-half – fairly, despite the Brazilian’s histrionics – and playing with a level of commitment that demonstrated what clubs lose when they stop mining talent close to home. Gerrard was very much a man on a mission, too.

Camera friendly: Gerrard kisses the lens after scoring in Liverpool's 4-1 victory at Old Trafford in March 2009

It's me again: Liverpool's skiper seeks out the cameraman in the corner flag

Familiar ground: Gerrard kisses the camera at Old Trafford, as he did in 2009 and 2010

Legend of the game: Maradona looking on in the crowd at Old Trafford

Top bin: Gerrard hit the first penalty perfectly, sending De Gea the wrong way

Over the top: Gerrard is jumped on by Luis Suarez after putting Liverpool ahead

No second yellow: Suarez appeals for the penalty before claiming Rafael should have been sent off

Yet Liverpool’s triumph was that, all over the pitch, players were putting their bodies on the line for this win. Luis Suarez was outstanding, as he has been all season, and the defence, including goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, held firm.

PLAYER RATINGS

Click here to see Ian Ladyman's player ratings from Old Trafford

Not that United offered the most testing resistance. It took them until the 44th minute to carve out a real opportunity, when great work from Januzaj put Rafael in, and his cross found Rooney who forced an excellent save from Mignolet, followed by a brave block from Martin Skrtel.

Robin Van Persie, insipid to say the least, missed with a header and a shot in the second-half, Wayne Rooney struck a free-kick high in injury time and Marouane Fellaini skied the ball widly, the one chance he had, but it was meagre fare.

Stretching: Fellaini attempts to knock the ball beyond Liverpool full-back Jon Flanagan

Flying in: Daniel Sturridge of Liverpool is challenged by Nemanja Vidic

Luis Suarez's heat map vs Manchester United- click here for more from our Match Zone service

Head down: Rooney says the 3-0 defeat to Liverpool was a nightmare

Down and out: Fellaini walks off at half-time after a poor opening 45 minutes for United

FROM THE SPOT

Liverpool have now won 126 penalties in the Premier League, more than any other side

United had few answers to Liverpool’s movement and ingenuity, which perhaps explains why this was a match decided on penalties, yet lasting no more than 90 minutes.

It was just three minutes old when Daniel Sturridge had his first crack at goal and only five minutes had gone when the visitors should have had their first penalty.

It is a familiar scene now, the referee waving away an appeal from Suarez only for the replay to show the Uruguayan was more than justified. Yes, he used to dive, but he doesn’t any more. Can’t they accept that now, and start treating him like the other strikers?

Absent again: Striker Robin van Persie picks himself up off the ground

Flattened: Manchester United's Wayne Rooney lies flat out on the Old Trafford pitch

No room to breathe: Rooney is surrounded by Liverpool players as he attempts to make inroads

Having a word: Jordan Henderson of Liverpool protests to referee Mark Clattenburg

On this occasion, Suarez deserved two penalties, Fellaini having one crack at him that made him stumble, and then a second that made him fall. Clattenburg waved both away, setting the standard for his performance.

In the 31st minute, Rafael caught Gerrard late and was booked and just three minutes later he deliberately handled while trying to stop Suarez, and wasn’t.

A penalty was given, and in front of the Stretford End, but Clattenburg choked on the bigger call. Rafael’s handball was impossible to ignore and not one of those unfortunate ones, either.

Suarez dinked it past him on the by-line and, realising he had been beaten, the right-back patted it down. It wasn’t a deflection, he wasn’t off balance, he had plenty of time to get his arm out of the way.

All cut up: Fellaini shows his battle wounds after a challenge from Steven Gerrard

Just enough: Phil Jones just manages to get a touch on the ball as Suarez moves past

Surrounded: David Moyes started with Marouane Fellaini at Old Trafford, but he struggled early on

Hefty challenge: Robin van persie slides through Jon Flanagan early on at Old trafford

Robin van Persie's sparse heat map vs Liverpool - click here for more from our Match Zone service

In his wake: Jon Flanagan of Liverpool skips past Juan Mata early on

It was cheating, pure and simple, yet Clattenburg chose to manage the game rather than apply the rules, and kept 11 against 11.

It really is a curse, this latest trend. Gerrard put the ball smartly to David De Gea’s left – but Clattenburg’s faintheartedness could have conjured a travesty.

Had the score stayed at 1-0 for a length of time, who knows if Liverpool might have been vulnerable to pressure? As it was, from the first attack of the second-half, United cracked and lost the game.

Jordan Henderson chipped the ball into the penalty where Joe Allen was bundled over by Phil Jones, whose clumsiness is hardly a defensive asset, and Clattenburg’s decision summoned Gerrard into action again, doubling Liverpool’s lead.

50/50: Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini (right) challenges Liverpool's Raheem Sterling

Foul: Liverpool's Jon Flanagan (right) pulls back Manchester United's Wayne Rooney

No problems: Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez shake hands prior to the match at Old Trafford

By the time Gerrard stepped up to attempt a hat-trick of penalties, United were in disarray.

The replays showed Vidic did not make contact with Sturridge, and the Manchester United man was furious with his opponent, complaining bitterly to him even after the red card had been shown, but it was hard to have too much sympathy.

Vidic had gone in rashly, and forcefully, on a player running fast in the penalty area. It really was an accident waiting to happen. The same could not be said of Gerrard’s kick, having scored at that moment 30 of his last 33.

Long time coming: Liverpool are looking to win the title for the first time since 1990

Looking down: Former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson takes his seat before the start of the game

He missed. Hit the left post to ensure United would not be punished twice. And if Sturridge did make a meal of Vidic’s challenge there was payback four minutes later when he was plainly tripped by Michael Carrick but Clattenburg waved his appeal away.

Suarez got the better of Jones after 83 minutes, forcing a brilliant save from De Gea, but the Spaniard was powerless a minute later when a scuffed Sturridge shot fell at Suarez’s feet for only his second league goal since January.

The numerical distance between the teams was now reflective of the gulf on the day.

The home fans tried to drown out Liverpool’s celebrations, but it would appear Manchester United now have another set of noisy neighbours, and some very thin walls.