Man United 3-0 Liverpool: Manchester United strengthened their grip at the top of the Barclays Premier League with a 3-0 defeat of bitter local rivals Liverpool.

Wes Brown had headed United ahead after 34 minutes before Liverpool were reduced to 10 men when Javier Mascherano, booked earlier, was sent off for dissent just before half-time.

Liverpool fought gamely after the break but Cristiano Ronaldo and then Nani inflicted deeper wounds with goals in the final quarter of the game.

Alex 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."

Rafael Benitez was adamant Mascherano had only asked referee Steve Bennett why team-mate Fernando Torres had been booked.

"Clearly he didn't say anything. Ryan Babel was close to him, he didn't say anything, he was asking what happened," he said.

"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.

"In a big game like this between the top four, a sending-off for asking is just a surprise."