RAMPANT REDS DISMISS JADED CHAMPIONS
Gerrard (pictured) opened the scoring after 16 minutes with a 25-yard blast into the roof of Fabien Barthez's goal after the United defence had failed to close him down.
The lead was doubled four minutes before half time when some good work by Gerrard on the Liverpool left led to Robbie Fowler being played in with just Barthez to beat.
After controlling the chipped ball from his England team-mate in textbook fashion, Fowler then proceeded to blast the ball past the United keeper.
Things could have been much worse for United if referee Graham Poll had spotted a first-half handball by Gary Neville in the champions' penalty box.
The 68th minute dismissal of Danny Murphy for a second bookable offence would have suggested a United onslaught, but it was Liverpool who came closest to adding to the scoreline with Emile Heskey being denied by the post in the 80th minute.
Man of the match Gerrard was delighted with the victory and said: "We were all up for it, but with any win over Manchester United you have to be delighted.
"We could have scored a couple more to put the game out of reach, but they have put us under a lot of pressure in the last 20 minutes.
"We all had to dig in and the lads have done a superb job.
"Everyone in Liverpool will be delighted and out getting drunk tonight - it is brilliant."
The result means that Liverpool are only the third side in the Premiership history to have done the double over Manchester United, and their first since 1979. They have joined Chelsea in 1994 and Arsenal in 1998, to have completed the feat.
Click below for more details:
Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0
Click here for the Opta match stats
