At a lively Anfield, Liverpool produced an outstanding display and Mohamed Salah became the club’s all-time leading Premier League scorer as they overwhelmed Manchester United.
Despite Erik ten Hag’s team’s recent Carabao Cup success, Liverpool provided a severe reality check of their progress, taking control of the game just before half-time and never looking back.
Liverpool were in full cry throughout the second half, while United suffered unrelenting misery, culminating in a record-breaking 7-0 defeat. Darwin Nunez scored twice, while Cody Gakpo also scored twice, and Salah bamboozled United defender Lisandro Martinez to provide an assist and score a goal himself, becoming Liverpool’s highest-ever Premier League scorer with 129 goals.
Roberto Firmino, who announced his departure from Anfield at the end of the season, completed the rout with a goal in front of the Kop, cementing Liverpool’s position as a serious contender for a Champions League spot.
After a disappointing season, Liverpool delivered a reminder of their intensity and firepower, which had been missing for much of the campaign. Conversely, United, who had been undergoing a revival this season, were blown away by a Liverpool team in full cry.
Klopp’s team responded to his call for a pivotal week in the race for the top four with two impressive victories. This record-breaking win against United followed a victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers and saw Liverpool climb to within three points of Tottenham with a game in hand.
While United had been right in the game until Gakpo’s goal just before half-time, they were unable to cope with Liverpool’s intensity and energy throughout the second half. This defeat will be a source of embarrassment for United and their fans, particularly after their recent Carabao Cup success.
Despite having a heavy schedule of fixtures, United can offer no excuses for their abject display at Anfield. Martinez, in particular, had a difficult game, being taken apart by Liverpool’s attackers, especially Salah, who set up Gakpo for Liverpool’s third goal.
United will now have to regroup and prepare for their Europa League match against Real Betis on Thursday, licking their wounds after this record-breaking defeat at the hands of their arch-rivals.
