LIVERPOOL 0, MAN UNITED 1
Wayne Rooney continued his rich recent goalscoring vein with Manchester United’s winner at Liverpool.
The striker’s fifth goal in four games earned the Reds a Barclays Premier League double over Liverpool for the second successive season.
Rooney’s 12th goal of the season was also his 241st for the Reds as he moved within eight goals of Sir Bobby Charlton’s club record.
And Rooney, who began his career just across Stanley Park at Everton, also created another record as he became the player with the most Premier League goals for one club as he overtook Thierry Henry’s total for Arsenal.
It was very much a case of smash and grab as Rooney’s 78th minute goal was United’s only on target goal attempt in the match as they again toiled to create chances.
Indeed, Liverpool mustered 19 goal attempts to United’s seven, an indication as to the way the game panned out.
But it was a massive win for United’s under-fire manager Louis van Gaal lifting the Reds to fifth place as only two points adrift of Tottenham who are fourth.
And while the game failed to live up to some of the epic encounters of recent times, the result was all-important for the Old Trafford club in their pursuit of Champions League football next season.
Van Gaal, who edged 3-2 ahead in head to heads against Jurgen Klopp, was delighted with the victory saying: “It is a fantastic win and I hope it will be a big boost to the players, the fans and everyone connected with the club.
“To beat Liverpool is always important because one of our competitors has lost points. May be we are only seven points behind the leaders and there are still a lot of games to go.
“We have started 2016 very good with a lot of wins and a draw and we have not lost a game.”
Van Gaal, who has won all four games against Liverpool as Reds’ manager, added that United at times rode their luck.
He explained: “We were lucky to survive the first half as Liverpool were more aggressive. We didn’t create anything and Liverpool had three chances.
“In the second half, you could see us coming into it. We created two chances and scored one so I am a happy coach.”
Klopp was not too disheartened by the defeat saying: “We played better and we are frustrated because we did a lot of things well.
“We created chances, but our finishing was not good or we would have scored. David De Gea was man of the match and had a few good moments.”
United fielded a rare unchanged starting line up as Van Gaal went with the same side that kicked off in midweek at Newcastle where they drew 3-3.
Liverpool, also involved in a 3-3 in midweek against Arsenal, made just one change in midfield where Lucas replaced Jordan Ibe.
United, who had won their last three meetings against Liverpool, also went into the game unbeaten in four league and cup games.
The only early incident of note was a painful clash of heads involving Lucas and Marouane Fellaini who needed lengthy treatment after coming worse off.
Liverpool gradually began to impose themselves on the game as De Gea had to race to the edge of his area to block a header from Adam Lallana who raced on to a long through ball. The rebound fell to Roberto Firmino who shot narrowly wide with United’s defence scurrying back to cover.
Firmino then sprayed a fabulous 50-yard pass to James Milner on the right of the box as he blazxed over.
There was a lack of goal attempts as both sides as they cancelled out one another with United taking half an hour to muster their first chance when Ander Herrera shot well wide.
Liverpool ought to have made the breakthrough moments when Jordan Henderson, on the right edge of the six-yard box, fired wide. Henderson then shot over from 25 yards as they offered more of an offensive threat.
United were forced to make a change with three minutes of the opening half remaining when Cameron Borthwick-Jackson replaced the injured Ashley Young.
Liverpool, attacking the Kop in the second period, almost took the lead five minutes after the restart when Emre Can burst into the box on to a Lallana pass only to see De Gea manage to deflect his shot for a corner.
Anthony Martial had a rare opening for United, but dragged his shot wide of the far post from a tight angle.
Henderson had another good chance, but could only direct his shot straight at De Gea.
United made their second change midway through the second half when Jesse Lingard made way for Juan Mata.
Liverpool were denied by a great double save to turn away a rasping 30-yard driver from Can and then beat out Firmino’s angled follow-up effort.
United made their last change with 18 minutes left as Herrera was replaced by Memphis Depay.
The breakthrough came with 12 minutes left when Depay and Mata played a short corner on the left and Mata’s cross was headed against the bar by Fellaini with Rooney reacting quickest to fire the loose ball into the roof of the net.
Klopp threw on Christian Benteke and new loan defender Steven Caulker as attackers. But while they dominated the latter stages, they never seriously looked like conjuring a leveller as United managed the latter stages with great professionalism.