Not a bad way to mark Benitez finally ending speculation over his future by penning a new five-year contract.

Indeed, Liverpool could be top the next time United take to the field in a fortnight, with their trip to Fulham coming the day before Old Trafford hosts Villa.

The Anfield outfit will hope Martin O’Neill’s faltering side – from championship outsiders, the Midlanders have now not won in eight – put up more resistance than yesterday. But that should not detract from Liverpool’s efforts in notching a third consecutive league win for the first time since October.

As against Madrid and United, Benitez’s side were again quick out of the blocks to lay the foundations for victory with an unrelenting first-half display.

Brad Friedel had already clutched a Martin Skrtel header from Gerrard’s left-wing corner when Liverpool went ahead in the eighth minute from another set-piece.

After Reo-Coker fouled Riera, Gerrard’s free-kick was glanced on to the crossbar by Alonso and Kuyt reacted quickest to smash the ball into the goal with a diagonal drive.

A stretching Gerrard then almost reached Riera’s deflected cross at the far post, but Villa, winners of 10 of their previous 14 away league games this season, worked their way in with Carew’s lumbering frame the main threat.

Twice the striker brought the best out of Reina. On 21 minutes, the goalkeeper was alert to palm away Carew’s improvised flick from Ashley Young’s left-wing cross, then produced an even better stop by diving full length to his left to paw away a Carew header from a deep Reo-Coker free-kick.

That delivery was one of the few things the Villa man did right during a miserable 45 minutes in which he was culpable for all three goals.

The second, on 33 minutes, came from a source that has proven fruitful for Liverpool in recent weeks – a long ball upfield from Reina.

An indecisive Reo-Coker, preoccupied by Fernando Torres, allowed the ball to bounce and Riera raced on to the loose ball and unleashed an instant volley in off the underside of the crossbar.

Gerrard shot wide and Arbeloa failed to take advantage after being gifted possession by Friedel’s loose pass, before Reo-Coker’s misery was made complete six minutes before half-time when upending Riera inside the area. Gerrard sent Friedel the wrong way from the spot.

The second half was a procession. On 50 minutes, Carlos Cuellar dumped Kuyt to the turf on the edge of the area and Alonso rolled the free-kick for Gerrard to sidefoot accurately into the bottom corner.

A quarter of an hour later, Alonso’s vision sent Torres racing clear only for the striker to be upended by Friedel. A clear penalty, it was still harsh on the former Liverpool goalkeeper to see red, with Gerrard netting past replacement Brad Guzan, making a Premier League debut, for his treble.

The rest of the game then centred on the vain attempt to help Torres net the two goals that would give him 35 in his first 50 league games for Liverpool, a mark not reached since Jack Parkinson in 1906.

Not for the first time, the forthcoming international break has come at the wrong time for Benitez, who will hope Gerrard and in particular Torres return to Melwood unscathed on Thursday week. The forces, though, are now with Liverpool.