October 24, (THEWILL) – Liverpool annihilated Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday evening, adding to the pressure on under-fire manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Norwegian could only watch in horror as his Red Devils were ripped apart by the Merseysiders, with Mohamed Salah’s hat-trick providing the highlight of an incredible game of football, at least for one side.
The visitors came out firing, and they were up 1-0 after just five minutes, Salah laying on a pass for Naby Keita to slide past a helpless David de Gea.
Eight minutes later, a defensive blunder by Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire allowed Keita to feed Trent Alexander-Arnold, who found the returning Diogo Jota sliding in at the back stick to double Liverpool’s lead.
On 38 minutes, Salah scored his first goal for his own tally, with Klopp’s side slicing the hosts apart. Roberto Firmino, Jota and Keita sliding it across, and the Egyptian king beating Victor Lindelof to the near post for 3-0.
Then, Firmino turned the tight-marking United captain and fed his talismanic right winger, who did the rest, as United defended from a harmful Liverpool throw, with Lindelof, Maguire, and Shaw all sucked in by the ball.
It was only the first half and United had conceded four goals at home with 45 minutes of regular play time remaining.
United’s Cristiano Ronaldo was fortunate not to be sent off for kicking out at United substitute Curtis Jones before the break, and United’s lack of discipline would be a recurring theme throughout the game, with Paul Pogba receiving his marching orders after a VAR intervention for a dangerous challenge on goal-scorer Keita.
But not before Salah completed his hat-trick. It was a show of Salah’s sublimity but it was created by Reds captain Jordan Henderson, who robbed Fred and Pogba of the exchange before bending a lovely ball into the path of his speedy team-mate, who finished sensationally.
Home supporters booed and jeered, leaving early and leaving Solskjaer with no choice but to watch in horror as his worst nightmare unfurled before his own eyes.
For Liverpool, it is a clear statement of their dominance in the title race. United, by this display, is dead in the water. Liverpool was bubbling before this result, but they have exploded into life as a result of it.
Jurgen Klopp devised a brilliant strategy with a fantastic side and they deserved everything they got today with a fantastic job and result. The changes Klopp made pre-match were excellent, with Ibrahima Konate and Diogo Jota brilliant throughout.
But Salah turned out to be the linchpin, as he compounded United’s woes, exploiting every defensive error made to seal a dream day for every fan of Liverpool.
With this win, Liverpool moved back into second place in the table, one point behind Chelsea. United, on the other hand, stay in seventh place, seven points behind Liverpool. United will travel to Tottenham Hotspur next weekend, while Liverpool will host Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
