Seven up as Liverpool humble shambolic Man Utd

It was an historic collapse from Erik ten Hag's side at Anfield. 

TOPS OFF: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring his side's sixth goal. Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

LIVERPOOL scored seven goals in 45 minutes as Erik ten Hag’s impressive run with Manchester United came to a stunning halt at Anfield.

Cody Gakpo, Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez all each scored twice as all three Liverpool forwards were on the mark and led the amazing rout.

For a United side beaten just twice in their previous 32 league and cup games, it was a spectacular collapse against the old enemy, and a sign of how much work their new manager still has to do.

And the win - the biggest in the fixture’s history - will leave Jurgen Klopp’s side with real belief that they can recover from their poor start to the season and clinch a top-four finish.

Gakpo struck at the end of a week in which Roberto Firmino announced he is bringing down the curtain on his glorious Liverpool career at the end of the season.

And if the Dutch youngster was signed with a view to being the Brazilian’s heir apparent, fans only had to wait until the 42nd minute to appreciate how much those comparisons may be valid.

A long kick from Alisson was collected by Andy Robertson who cut inside, beating his opposite full-back Diogo Dalot before guiding a perfect pass inside midfielder Fred.

Gakpo cut in from wide and curled a perfectly-judged shot beyond the diving David de Gea into the far corner.

Anfield, predictably, erupted and the magic touch of ten Hag appeared to have deserted him, even if the Liverpool opener had come against the run of play.

In fact, United had done a perfect job of taking the sting out of Liverpool’s breathless start to the match before the visitors appeared to have taken a hold on the contest, midway through the first half.

The best chance came from an amazing deep cross from left-back Luke Shaw which Marcus Rashford met but was only able to place a weak first-time shot at the keeper.

In short, there had been no sign of the collapse to come and which started just two minutes after the restart when Wout Weghorst, Casemiro and Raphael Varane all failed to clear an attack after Shaw lost the ball. Harvey Elliott found Nunez who scored from close range.

After 50 minutes, Liverpool broke down the right, through Salah, and his cross was converted superbly by Gakpo with a confident finish.

Fifteen minutes later, Jordan Henderson sparked another counter-attack which ended with Nunez picking out Salah for his deserved contribution - and there was, incredibly, more to come.

Nunez made it 5-0 on 75 minutes when he headed in from six yards from a brilliant Henderson cross which showed just how terrible United’s defending had become after the interval.

And Salah was certainly not finished. He converted a scrappy goal from six yards from a Firmino assist as United’s defence was again conspicuous by its absence.

And two minutes from time, Firmino was the popular scorer of the seventh and last goal as his old colleague Salah set up the goal that gave the home contingent in the Anfield crowd as much pleasure as any.

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 7, Konate 7, van Dijk 7, Robertson 8; Henderson 7 (Bajcetic 78, 6), Fabinho 6 (Milner 79, 6), Elliott 7 (Jones 85); Salah 10, Gakpo 9 (Firmino 79, 7), Nunez 9 (Jota 78, 6). Substitutes (not used) Tsimikas, Carvalho, Matip, Kelleher.

Man United (4-2-3-1): De Gea 5; Dalot 4, Varane 4, Martinez 4 (Malacia 77, 5), Shaw 3; Casemiro 4 (Sabitzer 77, 5), Fred 6 (McTominay 58, 5); Antony 4, Weghorst 5 (Garnacho 58, 5), Fernandes 4; Rashford 6 (Elanga 85). Substitutes (not used) Maguire, Heaton, Sancho, Wan-Bissaka.

Referee: A Madley 6 Ends