A brief look at how the 'big four' managers responded to their sides' respective performances, with Javier Mascherano's sending off splitting opinion in the north-west.

Manchester United 3-0 Liverpool

Alex Ferguson: "I know they had 10 men in the second half, but we played some very good football throughout, particularly in the first period with our attention, to pass and move.

"We could have been three up in the first half, with a couple of one-v-ones, and then we were deservedly in front. Then came the sending-off. The boy had already been booked and dissent is dissent, I feel he should not have got involved.

"He had run from centre midfield to get involved with the referee. And with things that happened in the week with the Ashley Cole incident, there is now a focus on dissent."

Rafa Benitez: "The player [Mascherano] knows he has made a mistake, but in this kind of game to be sent off just for 'asking', I find it a difficult decision to understand. I don't know whether it was anything to do with the Ashley Cole incident, you will have to ask the referee.

"Javier was sent off for dissent, but to be sent off for asking the official something is a surprise. He knows he made a mistake, but in a big game like this it is difficult to understand.

"Was the referee intimidated by the crowd? I don't know, you must ask him. If you want to win you must have passion in a big game, and sometimes you make mistakes, but he was only asking the referee about a bad tackle."

Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal

Avram Grant: "Didier [Drogba] was not so good when he came back from the African Nations Cup but last week against Spurs he was better, and today he was very good. We played well, especially in the second half against a very good team.

"It is not so easy to win the title but we in with a chance. We are still chasing but we are now closer to the top."

Arsene Wenger: "We will fight until the end and we are not worried about the future but are disappointed now obviously. Today we were unlucky and I thought we played well. We were 1-0 up and were unlucky with their first goal which I thought was really offside.

"Anelka came on for them, and they decided to play long ball, which put us under a lot of pressure and that was the only way they could trouble us. In the end we lost the game. It is disappointing because we gave everything but now the priority has to be the next game."

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