Liverpool 3 Manchester United 1: Kuyt profits from fine display by Suarez as United are humbled

It has, however, dented Sir Alex Ferguson’s side’s hopes of a straightforward run-in and at the same time restored some pride for the home side after two defeats at Old Trafford already this campaign.

Dirk Kuyt grabbed the headlines with a first Liverpool hat-trick against United since Peter Beardsley’s in September 1990, before Javier Hernandez headed a stoppage-time consolation – but there were many more who deserved the plaudits.

Tireless livewire Luis Suarez had a hand in all three goals while Lucas Leiva and Raul Meireles produced impressive midfield performances.

The afternoon was capped off with a long-awaited debut for £35m record signing Andy Carroll after more than two months on the sidelines with a thigh injury.

For United their second-choice central defensive partnership of Wes Brown and Chris Smalling, deputising for the suspended Nemanja Vidic and injured Rio Ferdinand, never looked comfortable on an afternoon when very few of the visiting team reached anywhere near the exacting standards Ferguson demands.

They still remain top of the table, and it is difficult to bet against them being in that position come May, but two defeats in five days – having lost at Chelsea in midweek – leave plenty of questions to be answered.

While Carroll had claimed all the adulation prior to kick-off, when the action got going it was his fellow January arrival Suarez who had an effect where it mattered most.

The Uruguay international, a £22.7m transfer from Ajax, set up the opener.

When he collected the ball on the left of the penalty area his route to goal was blocked by a number of opponents but his quick feet saw him weave past Rafael, Michael Carrick and Brown on his way to the byline. From there he squared the ball through Edwin van der Sar’s legs to present Kuyt with a tap-in.

Suarez could claim to have had a hand in the next one but Nani had a defensive aberration, inexplicably heading the Uruguayan’s cross back into his own six-yard area where Kuyt gleefully nodded in.

Jamie Carragher was lucky to escape with just a booking after a reckless shin-high tackle on Nani.

Van der Sar was at fault in the 65th minute when he spilled Suarez’s free-kick and Kuyt knocked in the rebound.

Hernandez scored a late headed consolation from Ryan Giggs’s cross in added time but it hardly raised a cheer among the visiting fans.