Premiership: Liverpool do league double over United

Liverpool 2, Manchester United 0 (full-time)

Liverpool have secured their first league double over Man Utd since 1979.

First half goals from Steven Gerrard and Robbie Fowler put Liverpool in control.

Gerrard struck from 25 yards after 15 minutes and Fowler scored from close in on 41 minutes.

United started with a near full strength team - back came David Beckham after being left out of the last two United games, along with Ryan Giggs, who has missed five games with hamstring trouble. Paul Scholes was on the bench with Andy Goram.

Liverpool left Michael Owen on the substitutes’ bench after his England efforts, while Patrik Berger - out since November with a knee problem - was in from the start after two reserve run-outs.

Steven Gerrard, too, who did not travel to Albania with England, was also in for the mouth-watering scrap with Roy Keane.

Barthez had to make a smart save at the start from a Hyypia header, from Murphy’s freekick, while Sander Westerveld needed to be very alert and careful with a fizzing Giggs drive from 20 yards after Liverpool had failed to deal with another cross from the left.

But any anxiety about that was forgotten on 16 minutes when Gerrard took a pass from Robbie Fowler after Murphy’s header and unleashed a stunning 25 yarder that arrowed like a missile high over Barthez’s right hand and into the top corner.

Anfield went berserk. But United are never more dangerous than minutes after conceding. On 19 minutes Westerveld could only palm away a Roy Keane drive and somehow his defenders managed to hack the ball away.

Berger’s angled drive seared across the six yard box, and Keane was involved in his first altercation, with Jamie Carragher, in the aftermath of a poor challenge by Berger on Gary Neville, Poll needing all his man management to calm that one down.

Phil Neville was booked for a foul on Hamann on 28 minutes, and a minute later Heskey got through on the left to see a shot deflect off Phil Neville and Barthez’s legs just wide of a post.

It was one-way traffic for Liverpool for the latter part of the match - so it came as no surprise to the Anfield faithful when Robbie Fowler was put through and drilled a shot past Fabien Barthez in the 41st minute.

Murphy was booked for a wild tackle on Nicky Butt, and on 37 minutes Fowler just failed to connect with his head eight yards out from a fierce cross by Gerrard.

But United were looking dangerous and forcing Liverpool back, with Beckham playing in great short and long passes.

But some uncharacteristic slack defending by United allowed Fowler the chance to make it two in the 41st minute.

Heskey worked the ball on the right, Gerrard’s cross was driven into the box and Brown was not quick enough or close enough to Fowler to stop the Liverpool skipper controlling the ball and volleying it past Barthez from 12 yards.

Barthez than pulled off a great save from a close-range Heskey shot after Fowler and Gerrard had carved open United’s defence on 44 minutes. Heskey and his team-mates could not believe the save that would surely have buried United.

One mazy Giggs run threatened to open up Liverpool’s defence at the beginning of the second half, but Beckham’s final shot was well wide.

On 60 minutes Berger and Gerrard combined to set up Murphy, whose shot flashed over from the edge of the box.

The danger for Liverpool again was that United were having most of the possession and it did not help the home cause that they kept giving the ball back to United as quickly as they won it.

On 66 minutes United thought they had pulled one back when Yorke scored on the far post from a Phil Neville cross, but the linesman’s flag ruled offside.

Two minutes later Liverpool were down to 10 men when Murphy was sent off for his second bookable offence, a late tackle on Irwin.

Immediately Liverpool sacrificed Fowler and Berger to get more midfielders, Gary McAllister and Nick Barmby, into what was clearly now going to be a backs-to-the-wall struggle.

Goalscorer Gerrard was replaced in the dying minutes by Michael Owen, Westerveld was called into action in the 89th minute for a shot by Dwight Yorke.

Despite the four minutes of added time, United could not break through the Liverpool defence.