Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra will forever overshadow Manchester United's 2-1 win over Liverpool.

Ill-tempered Old Trafford encounter settled by two Rooney goals

Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra will forever overshadow Manchester United's 2-1 win over Liverpool in a thoroughly unpleasant game at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson's defending Premier League champions returned to the top of the table after Wayne Rooney's two goals in three second-half minutes meant Suarez, of all people, only scored a consolation.

The Uruguayan started his first match since returning from his eight-game ban for racially abusing Evra and came face-to-face with the Frenchman, but he refused to shake his hand in the compulsory pre-kick-off routine.

It set the tone for a game between old club rivals which required no stoking and football played a largely secondary role in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off.

Police and stewards had to intervene in a half-time scuffle between the two teams in the Old Trafford tunnel and officials also had to step in after the final whistle when Evra elaborately celebrated the win on the pitch.

Rio Ferdinand had earlier refused to shake Suarez's hand either, emphasising the depth of his feeling at recent events.

Amid the rancour, United emerged with three precious points as Rooney's second-half double sent them top of the Premier League.

Sir Alex Ferguson's men had to survive a nervy 10 minutes at the end though after Suarez's close-range finished had halved the deficit.

Reaction to Suarez was swift and damning and Evra was so obviously not amused.

Ferdinand might not have thought so, but it was probably just as well he bore the brunt of Evra's intended challenge on Suarez inside the first minute, otherwise the United skipper would have been in trouble.

Nothing much happened for a long time after that, with the game getting stuck in a midfield scrap.

Flurry of activity

Glen Johnson had the clearest opportunity, only to curl his shot wide after skipping inside Evra.

Rafael responded with a similar opportunity, which was saved by Jose Reina. It was not long before United opened their visitors up though.

Paul Scholes continued his run after finding Ryan Giggs with a quite brilliant pass to the left touchline.

When Giggs delivered the cross, Scholes was all on his own on the edge of the six-yard box.

It should have been the opener. Instead, the veteran midfielder's header went straight at Reina, who batted it away.

After the flurry of activity, the contest reverted back to the mundane.

That was until the final minute of the half, when Ferdinand sent Suarez to the deck with a tackle TV replays showed was legal.

Suarez felt differently and when referee Phil Dowd refused to award the free-kick that would surely have brought Ferdinand's dismissal, he reacted furiously.

Booting the ball at towards the dug-out as the half-time whistle blew, Suarez had to be escorted down the tunnel by team-mates.

Once inside, though, the whole thing exploded once more, with Evra apparently intent on confronting the Uruguayan, with players from both sides involved in a melee that required police intervention.

The Football Association will want to know more about that but the spark suited United better judging by the way they began the second half.

When Jordan Henderson could only get the faintest of touches to Giggs' curling corner, it sent the ball straight to Rooney.