Manchester United ruined Luis Suarez's long-awaited return from a 10-match ban fir biting by beating Liverpool 1-0 in the third round of the League Cup on Wednesday, relieving some early-season pressure on manager David Moyes.

Javier Hernandez showed a poacher's instinct to volley home deftly 39 seconds into the second half as United advanced despite fielding a largely second-string lineup against its fierce rival at Old Trafford.

Suarez came closest to equalizing for Liverpool, curling a free kick against the crossbar as he hogged the limelight on his return to club football five months after biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic in a Premier League game.

Swansea's defense of the trophy ended in abject fashion by losing 3-1 at second-tier Birmingham, while there were wins for Premier League teams Newcastle and Stoke.

It was a huge result for Moyes, who had come under fire after presiding over United's worst start to a league campaign in nine years in his first season in charge after taking over from Alex Ferguson. Only three days ago, the champions had been thrashed 4-1 by neighbor Manchester City.

With no European football this season, Liverpool is left with just two trophies to play and will rue missing a great chance to beat United for a second time this season, having already won 1-0 in the league.

The match was notable to the comeback of Suarez, who played a World Cup qualifier for Uruguay as recently as two weeks ago but hadn't worn a Liverpool shirt for a competitive match since April 21 — when he sunk his teeth into Ivanovic's upper arm.

In those five months, his relationship with the club had been severely tested after he accused Liverpool's hierarchy of breaking an agreement to sell him if it failed to qualify for the Champions League. Liverpool turned down two bids from Arsenal for Suarez over the summer.

He was nevertheless well-received by Liverpool's travelling support at Old Trafford, although his reception from the home fans was typically hostile having been banned for eight matches in 2011 for repeatedly racially abusing United defender Patrice Evra during a league match.

With Liverpool changing formation to a 3-5-2, he played up front with Daniel Sturridge in a full-strength lineup that initially posed problems on the counter-attack. Suarez miscontrolled when he could have run through on goal and Sturridge toe-poked wide after getting half a yard on his marker.

United was poor in possession in the first half but when Jose Enrique lost Hernandez at a corner 39 seconds after the break, the Mexico striker leapt to guide home an impudent volley from inside the six-yard box, provoking an air-punching celebration from Moyes.

Suarez shot into the side netting in the 70th, then sent a free kick crashing against the bar two minutes later as United held off a strong finish by Liverpool, a record eight-time winner of the competition.

Swansea conceded three times in 24 second-half minutes at St. Andrew's to exit the competition it won last season for a first major title in the club's history. Wilfried Bony grabbed a late consolation for the Welsh club.

Papiss Cisse scored his first goal since April in Newcastle's 2-0 home win over Leeds, while Stephen Ireland and Peter Crouch were on target for Stoke in a 2-0 victory at Tranmere.

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