Steven Gerrard apologises for moment of madness that may cost Liverpool top-four spot

Gerrard was sent off for stamping on Ander Herrera just 38 seconds after coming on as a half-time substitute at a shell-shocked Anfield.

His red mist left his side to battle on with only 10 men against an in-form United side who completed the double over their Merseyside rivals thanks to two superbly taken Juan Mata goals.

After the seventh red card of his career, Gerrard said: “I’ve let the players and manager down today and more importantly all the supporters so I take full responsibility for my action.

“I’ve tried to jump his tackle when I have seen his studs and I have reacted wrong. I’ve been in the game long enough to know that when you do something like that, especially at that time of the game, with 45 minutes still to play and a great opportunity to get back in the game. I take full responsibility for it.”

His former Liverpool team-mate, Jamie Carragher, now a Sky TV pundit, suggested Gerrard’s moment of madness was borne out of frustration at being left on the bench for such a big game.

But when asked what sparked the stamp, Gerrard refused to elaborate: “I don’t know, Probably just a reaction to the initial tackle but I don’t think I should say that much more on it really. I just want to apologise to everyone in the dressing room and all the supporters all over the place because I take full responsibility for today’s result.”

Last season’s Gerrard’s infamous slip against Chelsea was blamed as a contributory factor in their failure to win the League. Yesterday’s dismissal could cost them a top four place - with United’s win moving them five points clear in fourth place.

Gerrard will miss the next three games - against Arsenal, Blackburn and Newcastle - and there could be more disciplinary trouble for Liverpool if the FA decide to take retrospective action on Martin Skrtel, who appeared to stamp on United keeper David De Gea in added time, an incident missed by referee Martin Atkinson.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers sympathised with Gerrard, saying: “It was purely down to wanting to make an impact. He has been man enough to come out and apologise. He was probably frustrated watching us in the first half because we didn’t make a tackle.

“He made a great challenge when he came on, probably our first challenge of the game. I won’t criticise him. He has been brilliant since I came here. We will move on.

“Of course in a big game you suffer when you play with 10 men against 11. It is great respect to the players still on there that we kept on fighting, especially when it went to 2-0. The players showed immense responsibility and spirit.”

But Rodgers was disappointed with his team’s first-half performance, adding: “With and without the ball, our game was not at a high level.”

United boss Louis van Gaal claimed United had “played Liverpool off the pitch” in the first half and said the victory was one of the greatest moments in his managerial career.

“It’s the best first 45 minutes we have played this season,” he said. “We played them off the pitch. But the second half, against 10 men, was not so good.

“We beat them again with their own weapons and the pressure on the ball. Now the gap is five points ahead of Liverpool and six ahead of Tottenham and Southampton so the moment is one of the most important in my career.”