MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - A rare double from French defender Mikael Silvestre handed Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand a victorious Premiership return to the team in a 2-1 victory over Liverpool.
Ferdinand had earned an instant recall from manager Sir Alex Ferguson on finishing his eight month ban for missing a drugs ban and gave an assured performance at the back as United dominated most of the match.
Silvestre though was the goalscoring hero as he scored with two headers - one in each half - while Liverpool had briefly levelled at 1-1 through a fortuitous own-goal by John O'Shea.
Liverpool equalised against the run of play as Steve Finnan's header from Xabi Alonso's freekick was going across goal but rebounded off Roy Carroll's thigh onto O'Shea's knee and over the line in the 54th minute.
Liverpool were a changed side after that piece of luck and Alonso's compatriot Josemi tried a bold effort from 30 metres out which just sailed over the bar.
However all that new found confidence disappeared in the 66th minute as Silvestre rose imperiously to meet Ryan Giggs' corner and power it into the net.
Alonso though refused to lie down and unleashed a superb effort in the 70th minute as he spied Carroll off his line and from 40 metres shot, but the United keeper was just able to get back and parry it.
Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze came to United's rescue with five minutes remaining as the ball whipped across the box but just as it looked like it would fall to Milan Baros, the Olympic gold medallist stuck out a foot to concede a corner.
Ferdinand was called for a foul on Luis Garcia in the third minute as he clattered him from behind. From the resulting freekick Djibril Cisse was presented with a glorious chance from Josemi's low cross but he airkicked it from just five metres out.
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo produced a superb run and shot from distance in the 10th minute which beat Jerzy Dudek - making his 100th start for Liverpool - but came of the post and it was eventually cleared for a corner.
Two minutes later and Ruud van Nistelrooy was unfortunate not to get a penalty from referee Graham Poll as the Dutch master turned Sami Hyppia in the box and was blatantly held back, though he got his shot in which was cleared for a corner by Dudek's legs.
The pressure eventually told in the 20th minute as Ronaldo's excellent freekick was met perfectly by Silvestre, who had slipped into the box totally unnoticed by the Liverpool defence, to head firmly past Dudek for his first goal since March.
Liverpool had to wait till the 26th minute to have their first shot as Josemi let fly from far out on the right but his shot curled wide of the post.
United had another opportunity to score a minute later as a fine cross from Giggs - making his 600th appearance for United - was met by van Nistelrooy but he could only direct it into Dudek's welcoming arms.
It was Ronaldo's turn next as Liverpool were run ragged, the Portuguese teenager shooting just wide of the post from inside the box after the visitors defence failed to clear effectively.
Heinze had Dudek at full stretch to turn his powerful header over the bar in the 36th minute as Liverpool could barely get out of their half let alone their penalty box with the left sided duo of Harry Kewell and Jon-Arne Riise especially unimpressive.
Kewell's misplaced pass provoked the next attack on the Liverpool defence three minutes later and O'Shea's flicked on header was met by van Nistelrooy's head but the ball flashed wide.
Liverpool's seemingly unending problems were exacerbated soon after when Steven Gerrard had to go off having received a kick on the foot and was replaced by Dietmar Hamann.
O'Shea then had a chance as he met Ronaldo's cross from the right but again it went straight to Dudek.