Without prior notice or suspicion, English football wrote a historic page with a rout for the memory of Liverpool against Manchester United, a 7-0 of which there were no similar records. The closest thing goes back to 1895 when in the third year of Anfield the Manchester giant, then known as Newton Heath, fell 7-1 in a duel belonging to the second division. In 1916 the score was already repeated with both teams in the highest category. In this scenario, United only lost three times by a result equal to that of this Sunday, and it was in 1926 at Blackburn, in 1930 against Aston Villa and in 1931 against Wolves. The last time Old Trafford’s side conceded seven goals in a league game was 63 years ago at Newcastle.
7
Alisson, Virgil Van Dijk, A. Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Fabinho (Milner, min. 78), Henderson (Stefan Bajcetic, min. 78), Harvey Elliot (Curtis Jones, min. 85), Darwin Núñez (Diogo Jota, min. 78), Salah and Gakpo (Roberto Firmino, min. 78)
0
De Gea, Shaw, Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martínez (Tyrell Malacia, min. 76), Varane, Fred (McTominay, min. 58), Wouter Weghorst (Alejandro Garnacho, min. 58), Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro (M. Sabitzer, min. 76), Antony and Rashford (Anthony Elanga, min. 84)
goals 1-0 min. 42: Gakpo. 2-0 min. 46: Darwin Nunez. 3-0 min. 50: Gakpo. 4-0 min. 65: Salah. 5-0 min. 75: Darwin Nunez. 6-0 min. 83: Salah. 7-0 min. 88: Roberto Firmino.
Referee Andy Madley
Yellow cards Fabinho (min. 40), Antony (min. 52), Lisandro Martínez (min. 60), McTominay (min. 64) and Salah (min. 84)
Anfield woke up with say goodbye Roberto Firmino, the excellent false nine who this week announced his goodbye to Liverpool next June. A cycle that began to fade with the farewell to Sadio Mané last summer comes to an end. We are at the end of a lead at the level of the most mythical of a club prodigal in legends. Salah barely remains as a remnant of a trio that won everything with the club while pieces like Gakpo, Darwin Núñez or the injured Luis Díaz strive, in some cases with more effort than success, to find their own way. They don’t have it easy and on that journey there are more adversities than joys, but at least this weekend Liverpool’s striker was once again a hammer and, ultimately, the team resumed the vibrant air in which it was embedded when Jürgen Klopp disembarked on the shore of the Mersey. Without reins, with a runaway forward, Liverpool overwhelmed Manchester United in a demonstration that invites Real Madrid to activate the preventions before the Champions League match on the 15th. Liverpool, at least, on March 5, has returned .
It was the best game of the season at Anfield, a joy in which for once Liverpool kept pace without faltering. At other times he could barely activate his identity signs for a few minutes. That was not the case against the Mancunian arch-rival, who survived a passionate start in which some of his most reliable footballers found themselves outclassed, for example Casemiro, a shadow of the one who threw the team on his back in recent games.
However, United went further and seemed to take control of the situation around half an hour into the game. It was a mirage, getting fat to die. Antony was shown in a couple of snails, Casemiro scored offside, but before the break everything began to collapse for Ten Hag’s team when Robertson, exalted to give Liverpool a start from the left flank, created an advantage for Gapko Picase from the left inwards to place the ball in the net.
The break came, but in reality everything had started there. In the engine room the young Elliott did not stop throwing more wood, who as soon as he returned to the field gave the second goal, and kilos of confidence, to Darwin Núñez. And it was already non-stop, a crescendo that was defined with one of those sublime counters that Klopp draws on his blackboard and in which Salah devastated Lisandro with a wonderful drive that went from hectic to subtle with a pass that deserved a definition of Gakpo full of class.
The collapse then had historical overtones because Liverpool saw its rival injured and was ruthless. Four more goals all carried the signature of the criticized forward that Klopp tries to sustain. Gakpo, Núñez and Salah, who surpassed Robbie Fowler, as the team’s all-time top scorer in the Premier era with 129 goals, signed two doubles. And the final brushstroke was put by the artist, Bobby Firmino. “Yes sir. Give the ball to Bobby and he will score. [Si, señor, dale el balón a Bobby y el marcará]”, sang The Kop while King Kenny Dalglish was smiling in the stands.
The points, which seem vitaminic, relaunch Liverpool in the search for fourth place that allows them to repeat their presence in the Champions League, an objective that hangs by that thread if the elimination in Madrid is confirmed. Tottenham’s defeat at Wolverhampton leaves them three points from that goal, with one game less than Spurs and the golaverage, arranged with the win against United, back on track in the event of final equality. Not far away, seven points away, he is looking at his battered rival, who must already look more towards his pursuers than at a leadership that escapes him by 14 points and that he will have to get up from a period smash.
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