With closest rivals Manchester City not playing until Sunday, Manchester United made the most of the opportunity to leapfrog their neighbours on a day when Arsenal also capitalised on another Chelsea slip-up to climb to fourth.
Manchester United's victory in the north-west derby at Old Trafford, which arrived courtesy of two Wayne Rooney goals, was marred by Liverpool striker Suarez's refusal to shake hands with home defender Evra before the match.
It was the first time the two players had met since Suarez, who scored a late consolation goal for the visitors, was banned for eight matches for racially abusing the United defender in October's reverse fixture at Anfield.
The snub had United manager Sir Alex Ferguson branding Suarez a "disgrace to Liverpool" who should never play for the club again.
Home fans sang "There's only one Harry Redknapp" throughout, hoping he chooses to stay at the club rather than take over as England boss, a post he is widely tipped to fill after Fabio Capello's resignation this week.
"If it ever happened and you got the offer [of the England job] you would have to consider what you feel is the right thing to do," he told ESPN.
"But at the moment I am focusing purely on Tottenham... I'm not just going to leave them in the lurch. It's not fair, we're going well... I've just got to keep doing the job here."
'WORST GAME'
While wins like this one will raise Redknapp's stock even further, defeats like Chelsea's 2-0 reverse at Everton are doing the opposite for manager Andre Villas-Boas.
"Today was our worst game of the season, the worst in ever
