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By Jeremy Butler
LIVERPOOL, England, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson hailed the team's 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday as a significant step towards retaining the Premier League title.
"It was a massive win. I said beforehand, the games between the top sides would be significant and that is one today," Ferguson told MUTV.
"If we are around the top in the first part of January we will have a real chance of winning the league. We will know we have a chance and we will know who our challengers are going to be."
Carlos Tevez scored in the 43rd minute to move United nine points clear of Liverpool, who are fifth in the table. Arsenal, who beat third-placed Chelsea 1-0 on Sunday, top the Premier League on 40 points, one ahead of United.
"It wasn't a smash and grab victory at all. We played the better stuff," said Ferguson.
"It was very frenetic, a typical Liverpool-Manchester United game. The crowd creates such a fervour, it is very difficult for the referee to handle. There was a massive amount of free kicks, probably a record.
"When a team gets so many free kicks you always worry that one is eventually going to go in," he added.
United have won six of their last seven league games against Liverpool since Rafael Benitez took charge at Anfield, however the Spaniard refused to rule his side out of the title race.
"It is too soon for the title. For me it is a long way. It will be harder, clearly. You need to be winning games in a row if you want to be closer," Benitez told reporters.
"This year all the teams can lose points so you can just think about the next game."
Benitez was due to meet Liverpool's owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett after the match to discuss his future following his criticism of the Americans's transfer policy in recent weeks.
"We will try to clarify the misunderstanding," Benitez said. "We need to clarify the situation for the future. It's just to know what position we are in now.
"I go into it with confidence. It is a meeting for talking about the future not just one game."
