United capitalise on Sami sending off
The Red Devils started the early kick-off at a high tempo, and had already threatened before Hyypia tugged back van Nistelrooy as he raced onto an intelligent through ball by Paul Scholes. Mike Riley rightly awarded a penalty but also decided to send the visiting skipper off for the denying of a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Van Nistelrooy slammed home the spot-kick with his usual aplomb, and Gerard Houllier withdrew striker Milan Baros and replaced him with Igor Biscan.
To their credit, Liverpool managed to claw their way back into the game, despite their man disadvantage, but failed to register a single shot on target during the 90 minutes with lone striker Emile Heskey a forlorn figure in the absence of the injured Michael Owen.
The second penalty award, Riley's sixth to United in four home games this term, was more dubious than the first as Biscan's mistimed challenge on Scholes initially looked like obstruction, but was proved to be a wild kick on the England international. Van Nistelrooy duly obliged from 12 yards out, with another clinical finish on 65 minutes.
United were finally able to relax, with David Beckham on as a substitute in time to supply a typically inviting centre which just evaded hat-trick-seeking van Nistelrooy, but was thumped into the roof of the net by Ryan Giggs for his first Premiership goal at Old Trafford for nearly two years.
Djimi Traore, who had seemed intent on scoring an own goal throughout the game, paid too much respect to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the 90th minute, and the Norwegian advanced when collecting a Giggs pass, and drilled an accurate shot through the defender's legs and past a bemused Jerzy Dudek at his near post.
Solskjaer had earlier missed a clear header from a Beckham corner but there will be no complaints from United, who move above Arsenal at the top of the table with the champions playing Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.Man Utd 4-0 Liverpool
