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United's first half performance can only be described as a smash-and-grab, the teams relatively even in terms of threat with Liverpool pressing and almost forcing two big errors from Edwin van der Sar but their North Western rivals looking to hit them on the break at pace.

The hosts had close to a dozen chances to United's none when, two minutes before the break, a clever corner routine saw Ryan Giggs drill the ball low to Wayne Rooney on the edge of the box, his angled drive towards the bottom left corner turned into the roof of the net by Tevez.

Until then Liverpool had looked the closest to scoring with firstly Sami Hyppia firing over after Fernando Torres had overhead-kicked Nemanja Vidic's clearance of a corner on three minutes.

The United keeper then twice messed up attempted punches, he was firstly grateful to Anderson for clearing off the line with Torres fluffing the rebound and secondly to Patrice Evra for clearing off the line after the ball rebounded off the back of Rio Ferdinand's head following the Dutchman's collision with Vidic.

United for their part had threatened but not made Pepe Reina work, most of their impetus coming down the left with Anderson and Giggs combining in fine form, Evra overlapping and Rooney providing support from the front. But they could not get a final ball across, either due to a lack of quality in the delivery or good defending from Jamie Carragher and Hyppia and, at one point, Steven Gerrard with an immaculately-timed tackle on Anderson.

But the Mancunians took the lead, the rehearsed corner routine taking Liverpool by surprise and asking questions about the zonal marking that many sides now employ on set-pieces, the Argentina star played onside by Yossi Benayoun, blamelessly covering the far post.

The second-half started on a more even keel but with Liverpool effectively chasing the game, United could afford to remain relatively deep and look to pick their hosts apart with occasional expressions of ambition.

One break in particular had to be foiled after Cristiano Ronaldo surged down the right wing and cut the ball across to Rooney, while Liverpool were mostly restricted to long-range efforts.

Rafa Benitez responded to the tightness of the match by bringing on Ryan Babel for the impressive but tiring Harry Kewell and Peter Crouch for the ineffectual Dirk Kuyt.

Liverpool pressed, as expected, but the pattern continued, the Reds unable to find a genuine breakthrough, another flap by Van der Sar and a flashing low drive from Babel that went inches wide the closest they came to an equaliser, although there was a low-level penalty appeal when the ball appeared to strike Tevez on the arm as United tried to clear a corner, although any contact was inadvertent.

Babel was proving to be a dangerous outlet, either hugging the left touchline or cutting inside to shoot himself, but without enough time to truly stretch Wes Brown his impact was reduced.

And Gerrard had United hearts in mouths when he sent an injury-time free kick onto the roof of the net but they held on for the win which will seriously question Liverpool's title credentials.

Reda Maher / Eurosport