Wayne Rooney celebrates after scoring during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Manchester United- AP

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney pounced to score a 78th-minute winner as his side stunned eternal rivals Liverpool with a smash-and-grab 1-0 victory at a freezing Anfield on Sunday.

Presiding over his first game against United, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp watched his team dominate, but Rooney punished their profligacy with his fifth goal in four games, a close range snapshot after Marouane Fellaini had hit the bar.

It was United’s first shot on target, but it was enough to give visiting manager Louis van Gaal his fourth win over Liverpool in four games and a first away victory since the 2-1 success at Watford on November 21.

Victory took United to within two points of the Champions League places and allowed them to reclaim fifth place from West Ham United, leaving Liverpool six points back in ninth place, their top-four hopes fading.

They may be England’s two most decorated clubs, but Liverpool and United are not this season’s leading contenders and a scrappy, shapeless first half reflected both clubs’ recent difficulties.

In Saturday’s match, Aston Villa’s Rudy Gestede prevented Leicester City pulling three points clear.

Gestede’s 75th-minute strike cancelled out Shinji Okazaki’s first half opener to give bottom club Villa a 1-1 draw and leave Leicester cursing another squandered penalty by winger Riyad Mahrez.

Leicester claimed the summit from Manchester City, who had briefly gone top after beating Crystal Palace 4-0.

Sergio Aguero starred for City against Palace at Etihad Stadium, scoring twice as they won the match 4-0.