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Victory a `morale booster,' Ferguson says

Sir Alex Ferguson acclaimed a 3-0 victory over Liverpool as an ideal "morale booster" after Manchester United strengthened their bid for a second successive Premier League title with a resounding victory at Old Trafford on Sunday.

United's win left them five points clear of Chelsea with seven games of the league season remaining.

Goals from Wes Brown, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani saw off Liverpool, who had to play most of the match a man down after Javier Mascherano was sent-off in controversial fashion just before halftime.

"The title race will go right to the end of the season," Ferguson said. "We've beaten a really strong Liverpool side and we did it with some really good football. That it was 3-0 against Liverpool, our biggest rivals, is good for the goal difference. We've done our job with three points but we won't get carried away. It's a morale booster and a good confidence booster."

While United mull over what is now required to lift a tenth English title since 1993, Liverpool now await the result of Steve Bennett's report into Mascherano's red card.

The Argentine midfielder would normally be banned for just one match after being shown two yellow cards, but that may be increased depending on how the Football Association view his furious reaction to being sent-off for dissent as he attempted to speak to Bennett about his decision to book Fernando Torres.

Mascherano had to be dragged away by Xabi Alonso and Liverpool coach Alex Miller before Reds manager Rafael Benitez tried to calm him.

Benitez refused to attempt to second guess what fate is in store for Mascherano.

"The player was asking. I don't think that to ask is a big problem. He doesn't know the referees," Benitez said.

Following the debate that has raged since Ashley Cole's dissent in Chelsea's 4-4 draw with Tottenham in midweek, Benitez acknowledged that Mascherano was wrong to attempt to discuss anything with a referee in the current climate.

"The player told me that he was asking what happened and to get sent-off for that made him really, really surprised," Benitez said. "He could not understand why. The player knows he made a mistake, but in this kind of game it is wrong to leave a team with just 10 players because one of them asked `why?'"

"It is clear that he knows he made a mistake," Benitez said.

"I think that when you are a professional and play a big game like this you are surprised and want to know why you are sent-off. Mascherano was trying to work really hard, like everyone else, and we are disappointed with what happened," he said.
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