UNITED'S Premiership title hopes were rocked by Liverpool as two goals by Emile Heskey, one from Michael Owen, and own goal by Rio Ferdinand sent Leeds crashing to a 4-0 defeat at Elland Road.

After United boss David O'Leary had suggested in the Sunday papers that Reds boss Gerard Houllier should not return as coach after recuperating from major heart surgery, the Frenchman got the perfect tonic as his side destroyed the Irishman's own hopes of lifting the championship for the first time as a manager.

Once Ferdinand's deft touch deflected Murphy's free-kick past Nigel Martyn it never looked like United's day and Heskey and Owen's second half strikes ended a miserable week for Leeds, who are now under real pressure to claim a top four finish and a Champions League place.

Olivier Dacourt and Harry Kewell both made a welcome return to the United side, but Jonathan Woodgate and Seth Johnson missed out after picking up injuries in the disappointing defeat at Chelsea in midweek. Ian Harte returned at left-back with Dom Matteo reverting to a central defensive role.

A crunching challenge by Steven Gerrard on Dacourt welcomed the French midfielder back to the Premiership and brought the Liverpool player a stern warning from referee Graham Poll.

Liverpool had the best of the opening five minutes with Riise's cross-shot flying across the face of goal and Michael Owen tumbling inside the area and appealing in vain for a penalty.

Kewell's run down the left had the visitors back-pedalling but the resulting long range effort by Ian Harte went well wide of Jerzy Dudek's left hand upright. United's Aussie ace linked superbly with Viduka down the left but his cut back to Lee Bowyer was too far ahead of the Leeds midfielder and Jamie Carragher cleared the danger.

But United fell behind on 16 minutes in unfortunate circumstances. Matteo was adjudges to have fouled Emile Heskey wide on the left and Danny Murphy's curling free-kick was a problem for the Leeds defence with Nigel Martyn helpless as the ball flew past him, thanks to an inadvertent final touch by Rio Ferdinand.

The Leeds skipper had two fruitless attempts to make amends at the other end but United were denied by some resilient defending, while great build up play involving Dacourt, Fowler and Bowyer ended with the midfielder's final touch letting him down.

Although Leeds enjoyed plenty of possession Dudek wasn't seriously tested with only David Batty's off target volley a moment of concern to the Polish keeper whose only save of the half was from Dacourt's scuffed 20 yard shot.

Liverpool's best effort came in injury time as Dietmar Hamann's 25 yard free-kick fizzed over the bar and Michael Owen's shot on the turn from the resulting corner was fortunately hit straight at Nigel Martyn.

Gerrard shot over the bar soon after the restart while Bowyer's driven cross was just out of Robbie Fowler's reach.

Owen was then next to threaten as raced clear of Matteo but Martyn did brilliantly to tip the Liverpool striker's powerful volley over the bar.

The loss of Olivier Dacourt, who was still feeling the effects of a kick on the leg in the first-half, forced a reshuffle, with Jason Wilcox coming on as the replacement. But Leeds barely had time to reorganise when the Merseysiders put the game beyond United with two goals inside three minutes on the hour mark

First a Leeds move broke down in the Liverpool half and Gerrard was given the freedom to move forward and slip the ball through to Heskey. With United appealing for offside, the England striker rounded Martyn and slotted the ball home from a tight angle.

But the killer blow came on 63 minutes, Heskey volleying home from six yards as poor United defending failed to clear Murphy's corner.

A shell-shocked United side tried to drag themselves back into the game but Dudek made two crucial saves, first from a Viduka header which he turned round the post and then just getting a touch on Fowler's close range effort.

Kewell's frustration resulted in a yellow card for dissent and the Australian international then limped off moments later.

With Liverpool now content to protect their unassailable lead it was left to Leeds to find a way back, but by the end David O'Leary's side looked well beaten and Owen's injury-time strike only rubbed salt in the wounds.

In injury time the England striker reacted quickest to Heskey's flick on from a corner, headed against the bar and then headed home the rebound for Liverpool's fourth.

The defeat brought to an end a poor run of games against all the title contenders and the return of just one point out of 12 has ended any realistic hopes of the title.