Klopp left lost for words after historic humbling of old rivals United
SEVENTH HEAVEN: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp applauds after the Premier League match at Anfield on Sunday. Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.
WHERE to start in analysing one of the most extraordinary games not only in this but, arguably, in the 31 seasons of the Premier League; perhaps in the 129 years that these two famous rivals have faced each other.
By the time the dust had settled on an extraordinary deluge of seven goals in 45 minutes, this fixture had its biggest victory and United their worst defeat since St Stephen's Day 1931, when they lost to Wolves by the same scoreline.
It was, indeed, the joint-biggest defeat in the storied 145-year history of Manchester United.
With Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez each scoring twice, the future of Liverpool’s attacking play looked solid but it was the two goals from Mo Salah that will be best remembered, as he took his career tally against United to 12 and became the club’s highest ever Premier League scorer with 129.
There was even a popular - with Liverpool fans at least - seventh for Roberto Firmino, the Brazilian who has announced the week he will leave Anfield at the end of the season. If Gakpo is his heir apparent, boy, does Liverpool’s line of succession look good,.
And even the loquacious Klopp was struggling to articulate what he had seen. “No words,” was his opening gambit.
"Spectacular football game; outstanding. We played top football against the team in form,” he continued.
"The second half the start was pretty good and the end was pretty good. That is football, it can happen.
"It was the push we wanted. It puts us in the right direction. Everyone has to know we are still around. It wasn't the case for a while but tonight was a proper show of what we can be and what we have to be from now on."
But for United, this was a catastrophe that few - not even Klopp or his wildest, most optimistic supporters - could have seen coming.
It was a performance that recalled the opening games of the season, embarrassing defeats to Brighton and Brentford, but Erik ten Hag appeared to have completely consigned those nightmarish visions to ancient history.
But a team crowned Carabao Cup winners just seven days earlier showed that all good horror stories deserve a sequel, and here it unfolded in 45 astonishing minutes from the moment Liverpool undid United’s solid first half display.
“It is quite obvious, it is unprofessional, I think we see a huge difference, before and after half time,” said ten Hag.
"I am surprised because I have seen the last weeks and months this team is resilient and has a winning attitude. Second half we didn't have a winning attitude at all. We didn't stick to the plan and we didn't do our jobs.
"We didn't track back and it was really unprofessional. We have seen in the past we can bounce back. After Brentford, after Manchester City.
“This is definitely a strong setback and is unacceptable. I'm really disappointed and angry about it. It is a reality check. We have to take this strong. It was not our standards. We didn't play as a team. It was unprofessional. Yes, I am angry. Definitely.”
The rout started, moments after Casemiro had seen a “goal" ruled out for offside, in the 43rd minute through Gakpo.
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.
But, after recent dramatic come-from-behind victories against Barcelona and West Ham, United were still very much in the contest - for all of two minutes of the second half.
There had been no sign of the collapse to come so soon after the restart when Luke Shaw lost the ball cheaply and Wout Weghorst, Casemiro and Raphael Varane all failed to clear. Harvey Elliott found Nunez who headed in from close range.
The game was lost, even given United’s current durability, but nobody could have foreseen the collapse to come as their star players almost literally downed tools and capitulated in appalling fashion.
After 50 minutes, Liverpool broke down the right, through Salah, and, with Lisandro Martinez falling over and Shaw out of position, his cross was converted superbly by Gakpo with a confident finish from close range.
Fifteen minutes later, Jordan Henderson sparked another counter-attack which ended with Nunez picking out Salah for his deserved goal, superbly finished from 12 yards - 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 shambolic United’s defending had become after the interval.
Salah was certainly not finished. He converted a scrappy goal from six yards from a Firmino assist, with Shaw booting the ball against the Brazilian, 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 effort that gave the home contingent in the Anfield crowd as much pleasure as any.
Still, with that record goal, it was a day that Salah deserves to remember as much as anyone. "It's a fantastic day for everyone,” said Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. “The performance levels, every player was top quality. But I'm really happy for Mo. He dedicates his life to football. He is the first one in and the first one out of training every day.”
(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.
(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.
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