Liverpool comfortably outclassed Manchester United at Anfield to leapfrog Manchester City and go top of the league.
The home team started excellently and were a goal up after just five minutes, with Manchester United’s reshuffled defensive structure caught out by a ball down the right. Liverpool kept up the pressure and soon doubled their lead through Mo Salah thanks largely to an utterly delicious flick by Sadio Mane.
With a quarter of the game gone, the visitors were blown away. They were barely seeing the ball, and it felt like a case of counting how many Liverpool would score, rather than whether United would find a way back into the game. United’s struggles were made worse by the enforced departure of an injured Paul Pogba early on, with Lingard coming on rather than Sancho to play on the right.
Liverpool took their foot off the gas in the closing stages of the first half, content to keep the ball out of United’s reach before half time.
Ralf Rangnick brought off Phil Jones for Jadon Sancho in an attacking halftime sub, but it didn’t matter. United managed to increase the pressure for a small spell, but Liverpool found its way back into the ascendency soon enough. Liverpool put the game to bed with a third goal past the hour mark, as Andy Robertson’s interception and drive upfield were key before Diaz set up Mane for an excellent left footed finish.
Thiago came off to a standing ovation with ten minutes left, having proved himself the best player on the pitch. The reception was richly deserved, after what may have been his best performance at Anfield, but there was still time for Mo Salah to score his 30th goal of the season before the full-time whistle, latching onto a Jota through ball with an excellent run in from the right hand side, his deflected shot lifted over De Gea and into the back of the next.
Liverpool go top with the result, with Man City now forced to respond at home against Brighton tomorrow, keeping the Reds’ quadruple dream alive. Meanwhile, Manchester United’s top four hopes are now essentially evaporated, simply fighting for any kind of European place.
