Champions Manchester United crushed 10-man Liverpool 3-0 at Old Trafford in a controversial north-west derby.
United took a firmer grip on top spot in the Premier League, but it was the performance of referee Steve Bennett - and Javier Mascherano's lack of control - which will be the talking point.
Mascherano, already booked, was dismissed just before the break for blatant dissent which earned him a second yellow card - and then the red.
The Argentinian had to be hauled from the pitch, such was his anger, and his boss Rafael Benitez was equally unhappy with the incident.
Wes Brown had scored his first goal of the season - and only the third of his career - to give United control at the break, before Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani netted inside the last 11 minutes as Liverpool tired.
But in a week which has seen football infuriated by Chelsea's Ashley Cole's escape from dissent aimed at referee Mike Riley, it was hardly surprising Bennett was having none of the same.
Cole should have been sent off at Tottenham in midweek - and Mascherano felt the backlash.
The midfielder had been snipping away at Bennett throughout the first period, ably assisted by Fernando Torres.
If television viewers could see the dismissal coming, Mascherano could not.
Torres had been booked for arguing seconds earlier, so when the midfielder continued the debate there was going to be only one winner. Mascherano was incensed, and had to be virtually pulled off the pitch.
United brought back goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and defender Rio Ferdinand after groin and back injuries respectively, while Paul Scholes and skipper Ryan Giggs also returned.
Liverpool were unchanged after seven straight victories - a run which was to end in the 150th league meeting between these clubs.
The opening tackles were sharp and Mascherano was booked for cutting down Scholes, before Wayne Rooney twice went close.
First the striker got behind Jamie Carragher, whose tackle could easily have produced a penalty had the former Everton man gone down. But the England striker kept his feet and forced Jose Reina into a save with his legs.
Then Scholes' lofted pass fell behind the Liverpool defence, and Reina scooped the ball away from Rooney.
Bennett decided not to book Anderson for a late challenge on Steven Gerrard, before Reina rushed out of his box quickly to clear the danger with Rooney homing in.
Ronaldo's shot hit the foot of a post before Reina half-stopped a 33rd-minute Giggs effort and needed to claw it back from under the bar.
The deadlock was broken a minute later when Rooney's curling cross into the box was met by the unlikely figure of Brown - who reached it before Reina and saw his header drop into the net.
Then Liverpool's frustrations with perceived injustices saw them implode.
First Torres was booked for dissent, and when Mascherano joined in Bennett produced another yellow - and then red.
Gerrard was pushed back into Mascherano's holding role for the second half, which started with Reina making a point-blank save to stop a Ronaldo effort.
Reina produced another improbable save from Rooney, six yards out, before Fabio Arbeloa became the next Liverpool player to be booked for tugging back Anderson.
Ferdinand was cautioned for a foul on Torres from behind, before Benitez sent on Yossi Benayoun for the ineffective Ryan Babel just before the half's midway mark.
Torres, clinical in recent matches, then missed a decent chance when Gerrard's free-kick found him unmarked at the far post.
United sent on Carlos Tevez and Nani for Giggs and Anderson after 73 minutes, and it took another wonder save from Reina to stop Tevez making it 2-0.
Liverpool were incensed by a Michael Carrick challenge on Torres - right in front of Benitez - which Bennett chose not to punish.
Reina denied Ronaldo with a block which hit the bar and went out for a corner - which proved decisive.
Nani's 79th-minute corner was headed home by Ronaldo - and two minutes later Nani created space for himself on the edge of the box to blast in the third.
A disgruntled Torres was immediately replaced by John Arne Riise - and there was no way back for Liverpool.
Sir Alex Ferguson felt his young Manchester United side found a new level of maturity as they beat Liverpool 3-0 at Old Trafford to stay in pole position in the Premier League.
Wes Brown was the unlikely scorer of United's first when he leapt to head in Wayne Rooney's cross and the visitors ended the first half with 10 men after Javier Mascherano was sent off for a second bookable offence after arguing with referee Steve Bennett.
Liverpool failed to make a period of second-half pressure tell, and Cristiano Ronaldo headed home the second from a corner in the 79th minute before Nani added a third two minutes later after good interplay with Rooney
Ferguson was hugely pleased with the display and told Sky Sports: 'It was a really good performance - a performance of maturity.
'We've seen a team mature over the last six months and today they hit their high peak.'
Asked to comment on the dismissal of Mascherano, the Scot added: 'He has been booked and kept badgering the referee. We've talked about dissent and I think that was dissent.'
Ferguson refused to accept the title was in the bag, and said: 'It's going to go right to the end, Chelsea and Arsenal going really well. We've beaten a strong Liverpool side playing good football.'
United striker Rooney said: 'It's always nice to beat Liverpool and it's opened up a bit of a gap now at the top of the league.
'I'm delighted with the win. I know the goals will come [for him personally] - I'm not too concerned with that.'
Asked whether he thought the red card was a turning point, Rooney said: 'We were always on top. The Liverpool players were tired at the end, but overall I don't think it would have made any difference.
'We know it's in our hands now - we have to try and win as many games as possible and stay top of the league. We've got a good mix in the dressing room and we know what we have to do between now and the end of the season.'
Rafael Benitez was adamant Mascherano had only asked Bennett why team-mate Fernando Torres had been booked.
The said: 'Clearly he didn't say anything. Ryan Babel was close to him, he didn't say anything, he was asking what happened.
'In these big games, to lose a player in this situation...it's strange because Javier Mascherano is a good professional and was really surprised with the sending-off.
United took a firmer grip on top spot in the Premier League, but it was the performance of referee Steve Bennett - and Javier Mascherano's lack of control - which will be the talking point.
Mascherano, already booked, was dismissed just before the break for blatant dissent which earned him a second yellow card - and then the red.
The Argentinian had to be hauled from the pitch, such was his anger, and his boss Rafael Benitez was equally unhappy with the incident.
Wes Brown had scored his first goal of the season - and only the third of his career - to give United control at the break, before Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani netted inside the last 11 minutes as Liverpool tired.
But in a week which has seen football infuriated by Chelsea's Ashley Cole's escape from dissent aimed at referee Mike Riley, it was hardly surprising Bennett was having none of the same.
Cole should have been sent off at Tottenham in midweek - and Mascherano felt the backlash.
The midfielder had been snipping away at Bennett throughout the first period, ably assisted by Fernando Torres.
If television viewers could see the dismissal coming, Mascherano could not.
Torres had been booked for arguing seconds earlier, so when the midfielder continued the debate there was going to be only one winner. Mascherano was incensed, and had to be virtually pulled off the pitch.
United brought back goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and defender Rio Ferdinand after groin and back injuries respectively, while Paul Scholes and skipper Ryan Giggs also returned.
Liverpool were unchanged after seven straight victories - a run which was to end in the 150th league meeting between these clubs.
The opening tackles were sharp and Mascherano was booked for cutting down Scholes, before Wayne Rooney twice went close.
First the striker got behind Jamie Carragher, whose tackle could easily have produced a penalty had the former Everton man gone down. But the England striker kept his feet and forced Jose Reina into a save with his legs.
Then Scholes' lofted pass fell behind the Liverpool defence, and Reina scooped the ball away from Rooney.
Bennett decided not to book Anderson for a late challenge on Steven Gerrard, before Reina rushed out of his box quickly to clear the danger with Rooney homing in.
Ronaldo's shot hit the foot of a post before Reina half-stopped a 33rd-minute Giggs effort and needed to claw it back from under the bar.
The deadlock was broken a minute later when Rooney's curling cross into the box was met by the unlikely figure of Brown - who reached it before Reina and saw his header drop into the net.
Then Liverpool's frustrations with perceived injustices saw them implode.
First Torres was booked for dissent, and when Mascherano joined in Bennett produced another yellow - and then red.
Gerrard was pushed back into Mascherano's holding role for the second half, which started with Reina making a point-blank save to stop a Ronaldo effort.
Reina produced another improbable save from Rooney, six yards out, before Fabio Arbeloa became the next Liverpool player to be booked for tugging back Anderson.
Ferdinand was cautioned for a foul on Torres from behind, before Benitez sent on Yossi Benayoun for the ineffective Ryan Babel just before the half's midway mark.
Torres, clinical in recent matches, then missed a decent chance when Gerrard's free-kick found him unmarked at the far post.
United sent on Carlos Tevez and Nani for Giggs and Anderson after 73 minutes, and it took another wonder save from Reina to stop Tevez making it 2-0.
Liverpool were incensed by a Michael Carrick challenge on Torres - right in front of Benitez - which Bennett chose not to punish.
Reina denied Ronaldo with a block which hit the bar and went out for a corner - which proved decisive.
Nani's 79th-minute corner was headed home by Ronaldo - and two minutes later Nani created space for himself on the edge of the box to blast in the third.
A disgruntled Torres was immediately replaced by John Arne Riise - and there was no way back for Liverpool.
Sir Alex Ferguson felt his young Manchester United side found a new level of maturity as they beat Liverpool 3-0 at Old Trafford to stay in pole position in the Premier League.
Wes Brown was the unlikely scorer of United's first when he leapt to head in Wayne Rooney's cross and the visitors ended the first half with 10 men after Javier Mascherano was sent off for a second bookable offence after arguing with referee Steve Bennett.
Liverpool failed to make a period of second-half pressure tell, and Cristiano Ronaldo headed home the second from a corner in the 79th minute before Nani added a third two minutes later after good interplay with Rooney
Ferguson was hugely pleased with the display and told Sky Sports: 'It was a really good performance - a performance of maturity.
'We've seen a team mature over the last six months and today they hit their high peak.'
Asked to comment on the dismissal of Mascherano, the Scot added: 'He has been booked and kept badgering the referee. We've talked about dissent and I think that was dissent.'
Ferguson refused to accept the title was in the bag, and said: 'It's going to go right to the end, Chelsea and Arsenal going really well. We've beaten a strong Liverpool side playing good football.'
United striker Rooney said: 'It's always nice to beat Liverpool and it's opened up a bit of a gap now at the top of the league.
'I'm delighted with the win. I know the goals will come [for him personally] - I'm not too concerned with that.'
Asked whether he thought the red card was a turning point, Rooney said: 'We were always on top. The Liverpool players were tired at the end, but overall I don't think it would have made any difference.
'We know it's in our hands now - we have to try and win as many games as possible and stay top of the league. We've got a good mix in the dressing room and we know what we have to do between now and the end of the season.'
Rafael Benitez was adamant Mascherano had only asked Bennett why team-mate Fernando Torres had been booked.
The said: 'Clearly he didn't say anything. Ryan Babel was close to him, he didn't say anything, he was asking what happened.
'In these big games, to lose a player in this situation...it's strange because Javier Mascherano is a good professional and was really surprised with the sending-off.
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