Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier gambled on victory at Old Trafford only for the move to backfire on him as Manchester United took full advantage to secure an equaliser.

After Liverpool had seized a 28th-minute lead through a stunning 30-yard free-kick by Patrik Berger, the visitors spurned a number of clear chances to increase their advantage.

And such was Houllier's confidence in his rapidly-developing side that when Sami Hyypia was injured by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in a tackle which went unpunished, the Frenchman opted to play on with 10 men while his captain received five stitches to an ankle wound.

There were still five minutes remaining until the break but Houllier was desperately hoping that Hyypia would be fit to return after the interval.

Initially, it looked as if they would hang on until, with the influential Hyypia removed from the heart of the Liverpool defence, United struck back deep into injury-time.

That it was Solskjaer who equalised simply added insult to injury and United, who had been suspect at the back, thereafter pressed forward with renewed conviction.

While Michael Owen did make an immediate impact as a late substitute - clipping a chipped shot just inches wide with his first touch - it was eventually only a superb defensive display by Jamie Carragher which held United at bay with three goal-line clearances.

And they will have at least helped him to erase the painful memories of conceding a penalty and missing a clear-cut chance against United at Anfield last season, as well as scoring two own-goals in the clash between the two sides earlier in this campaign.

United therefore secured a point without ever having risen far above mediocrity and they remained 10 points clear of Liverpool.

All this after Sir Alex Ferguson had axed keeper Mark Bosnich on the bench and rotated his strikeforce, with Solskjaer and Dwight Yorke replacing Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole.

While Paul Scholes was out, Roy Keane had recovered from injury and he dominated the early stages, having a shot blocked and then denying Berger with a perfectly-timed sliding tackle.

However, Liverpool were breaking with purpose and capitalising on a lack of composure and understanding in the United defence, which had been similarly unconvincing - especially against high balls - in their 2-2 draw at Wimbledon last weekend.

Once Solskjaer had headed wastefully over the bar, Liverpool hoisted a high ball forward which had Jaap Stam and Mickael Silvestre at sixes and sevens.

That allowed Erik Meijer to steal possession and the Dutchman was duly fouled by Stam to set up the free-kick which Berger powered past keeper Raimond van der Gouw.

With Titi Camara always a threat out wide on the left flank, while Berger pushed inside, Liverpool were chasing every loose ball with conviction.

When Stam and Silvestre were again nowhere to be seen as Rigobert Song - an early replacement for Vegard Heggem - arrowed in a cross, Berger was left unmarked only for van der Gouw to produce a fantastic reaction save.

The impressive Camara was also denied by Gary Neville's desperate lunge but then, after Hyypia had limped off, Ryan Giggs crossed in added-time for Solskjaer to clinch the equaliser.

The striker, who scored the late winner which knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup last season, jinked around Carragher and shot home through the legs of Dominic Matteo for his first goal in almost three months.

Hyypia did make it out onto the pitch after the break but he was forced to limp off again even before the game restarted and the substitution - with Danny Murphy coming on for him - that could have been made earlier finally took place.

United had been reinvigorated by their equaliser though and when Giggs put Solskjaer through, Sander Westerveld just managed to take the sting off the shot with his legs before Carragher raced back to clear.

There was still cause for concern in the United defence when Camara's intelligent pass gave Vladimir Smicer a view of goal only for van der Gouw to block his shot.

However, United continued to press and Giggs volleyed towards the far corner only for Carragher to again clear the ball off the line.

With 15 minutes to go, Owen finally appeared off the bench after six weeks out with a hamstring injury and, within two minutes, he was racing clear onto Murphy's through-ball.

The striker clipped the ball over van der Gouw as the keeper dived at his feet but the ball agonisingly spun past the far post.

Ferguson reacted immediately to counter Owen's pace by moving Gary Neville across into central defence and Liverpool did not threaten again.

Indeed, it was the home side who came closest to clinching the winner late on but when Silvestre cut the ball back to substitute Sheringham and the goal beckoned, there was Carragher once more to deflect the shot wide with his head.

Liverpool have come far in the past year under Houllier's guidance and it is certainly far enough for them to have deserved their point.

However, achieving a first victory in 10 years at Old Trafford remains an unfulfilled quest. Then again, it took their last title-winning team to manage that feat.

Teams

Man Utd: Van Der Gouw, G. Neville, Stam, Silvestre, Irwin, Beckham, Keane, Butt, Giggs, Yorke (Sheringham 85), Solskjaer (Cole 80).

Subs Not Used: Bosnich, Berg, P. Neville.

Booked: Keane, Yorke.

Goals: Solskjaer 45.

Liverpool: Westerveld, Heggem (Song 18), Henchoz, Hyypia (Murphy 46), Matteo, Smicer, Hamann, Carragher, Berger, Meijer, Camara (Owen 77).

Subs Not Used: Staunton, Nielsen.

Booked: Meijer.

Goals: Berger 27.

Att: 61,592

Ref: D Gallagher (Banbury).