AFP: Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah all scored twice as Liverpool shrugged off a season of frustration to thrash Manchester United 7-0 at Anfield yesterday. Jurgen Klopp’s men set a new record margin of victory in the clash between English football’s two most successful clubs. Just a second defeat in 23 games in all competitions realistically ends United’s hopes of a first league title in a decade as they remain 14 points adrift of leaders Arsenal in third.
But there could even more lasting damage from the club’s heaviest defeat since 1931. Liverpool close to within three points of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand on Spurs still to come. Klopp’s side won the two league meetings between the teams by an aggregate score of 9-0 last season, but the tables had seemingly turned this season. A 2-1 win over the Reds in August gave Erik ten Hag his first win as United boss and they started the day 10 points clear of Liverpool. Liverpool have looked a shadow of the side that came close to an unprecedented quadruple of trophies last season. But either side of a 5-2 humiliation on home soil by Real Madrid, they have got back in the race for a place in the Champions League next season thanks to a run of 13 points from a possible 15 in the Premier League.