Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, left, reacts after scoring his third goal against Aston Villa on Sunday. (Paul Thomas/Associated Press)Liverpool's 5-0 destruction of Aston Villa on Sunday has sent a message to Manchester United that Rafa Benitez's side are determined to snatch the title from Old Trafford. Gerrard's first Premier League hat-trick helped Liverpool move within one point of United, the Reds captain knows the race for the Premier League is starting to hot up.United still have a game in hand over Rafa Benitez's men, who have 11 goals in their last three league matches, giving them a superior goal difference over the leaders. Dirk Kuyt took just eight minutes to score against a Villa side who are chasing one of the four Champions League spots.
Xabi Alonso's glancing header from a free kick taken by Gerrard hit the crossbar and Kuyt reacted quickest to fire the rebound into the net from 12 yards.
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina teed up the second in the 33rd minute, launching an 80-yard clearance that bounced once on the edge of the penalty area before Albert Riera volleyed the dropping ball high past Brad Friedel.
Riera provided the opening for Liverpool's third in the 39th. The Spanish winger was brought down in the penalty area by Nigel Reo-Coker and Gerrard sent Friedel the wrong way with his spot kick.
Any thought of a Villa revival was crushed five minutes into the second half when Carlos Cuellar brought down Kuyt and Gerrard struck the resulting free kick low into the bottom corner of Friedel's net.
Villa's miserable afternoon at Anfield was compounded when Friedel was sent off for bringing down Fernando Torres as he surged forward to meet Alonso's ball and Gerrard dispatched another penalty in the 65th.
It was Liverpool's biggest win of the season and came days after Benitez signed a new five-year contract. It will also revive hopes that the Spaniard can end the club's 19-year wait for its 19th English title.
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