Liverpool cruised to the top of the Premier League as they easily outclassed Manchester United in a 4-0 victory at Anfield on Tuesday.
Now leading Manchester City by two points, Jurgen Klopp's side never looked like viewing a game against their great rivals a cause for concern in their pursuit of a 20th title. Instead, the Liverpool manager could simply relish watching his players put to the sword a United side who delivered a first 45 minutes of football that will rank among the worst in their recent history.
It took only five minutes for Luis Diaz to open the scoring, tapping home from a Mohamed Salah cutback after United had been undone by a simple passing triangle on their left flank. By midway through the early period, the lead was doubled, with Joel Matip and Diaz combining in midfield before a clipped through ball by Sadio Mane teed up Salah for his first club goal since March 12.
Diaz would have the ball in the net from an offside position in the first half, one in which United failed to register so much as a shot and completed fewer passes in the attacking third (three) than eight Liverpool players managed on an individual basis.
The second half was not quite as egregiously bad, as the introduction of Jadon Sancho bringing more off-ball pressure and attacking thrust from the visitors, who have conceded nine goals against Liverpool this season without scoring once. But just as the hosts looked like they might be wobbling, Mane slotted home off a Diaz cross, meaning all of the starting front three ended the night with an assist and a goal.
That symmetry was spoiled in the 85th minute when substitute Diogo Jota picked the pocket of Hannibal Mejiri, slipping through Salah; with a clipped finish deflected off Aaron Wan-Bissaka, he became the first player to score five goals against United in a season. It is one of a string of statistics that serve to emphasize the chasm between the league leaders and United, one that does not look like being bridged any time soon.
That's how Gary Neville described Manchester United's first half on U.K. television. You could not help but feel he was pulling a few punches. Against their biggest rivals with a top four place up for grabs, Ralf Rangnick's side gave up without a fight. This was Homer Simpson letting Drederick Tatum hit him again and again and again.
Or maybe it wasn't. Because at least then "The Southern Dandy" had something approximating a plan. There was no sign of anything comparable from the visitors at Anfield. If you at least intend to weather a flurry of Liverpool punches you might set yourself up in an organized fashion with a clear idea what you wanted to do off the ball. United didn't keep it compact. They did not press.
Switching to a back three might have discombobulated them, but is it really beyond the whit of Harry Maguire to understand what he should do if he opts to track Sadio Mane into midfield? Do not let him turn and give him time to pick the pass. He would have been taught this decades ago. And while Rangnick was not blameless in this fiasco, he really does not need to be telling them to do the absolute basics. From there, Phil Jones looked like what he was, a player who had had nothing in recent years that could possibly prepare him for finding himself alone to defend Trent Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Diaz.
Liverpool's second goal was a masterpiece, yet you could not help but feel it was slightly spoiled by the total lack of pressure anyone in light blue was putting on the ball. This was training exercise stuff, the sort of move you can put together when no one is trying to tackle you.
David de Gea aside, there was no fight. None of the 11 players seemed to have any idea what sort of plan they were playing to. That is on Rangnick. But the simple lack of intensity and effort in the first half -- it improved from the lowest of bases in the second -- is on a group of players who appear to have checked out for the season. It seemed all they could do to spoil Liverpool's night was to play so woefully as to take some sheen off their win.
United could not even manage that. Liverpool might not have been tested but they certainly set out to challenge themselves. How else to explain the gaudy excellence of the likes of Alexander-Arnold, Diaz and Mane, all of whom treated this game as the ideal moment to stretch their creative muscles.
No one seemed to be relishing the moment more than Thiago, certainly in the best form he has been in since moving to the Premier League and perhaps even for longer than that. After half an hour of play, he had created three chances. It was just too easy for him. Every pass he delivered to his teammates was struck to perfection at exactly the right moment, given time to look up and assess his options he always picked the right one.
This was tempo-setting to perfection. When Liverpool needed to speed up, he did so. On the rare occasion that they just needed a bit of possession after a spell of United pressure, he would ensure ball security. Even when the hosts got sloppy around the hour, he was ticking along nicely. Such cool heads will be vital in the weeks ahead as Jurgen Klopp's side look to keep the pressure on City. Thiago will not let them down.
It will take a few days before it becomes clear whether Paul Pogba will be able to play again for Manchester United this season or if whatever issue forced him off after just 10 minutes will sideline him for the next month. Certainly, though, you could imagine this being an appropriate ending for what has felt like five wasted years for the World Cup winner.
Boos greeted his exit from the fray, some perhaps from United fans who have long since lost patience with a player who has struggled to find any consistency to his performances. They were getting the best young midfielder in the world back at their club after learning his trade at Juventus. But his employers seemed not to have noticed that the serial Italian champions had surrounded him with quality of a higher level than Nemanja Matic, another player who is off come the summer.
Pogba is far from blameless for what has been a fruitless stay in Old Trafford, but you cannot shake the sense that those responsible for building this squad have never put him in a position to excel.
It takes something to keep that being the takeaway from tonight but how woeful were United today? This really was so far from good enough, a team that lacked intensity in one of their biggest games of the season. Something is rotten at the core of this club.
A little bit of vim for the Reds, who have now scored nine without answer against United this season. Substitute Hannibal loses the ball, Jota gets it and slips one through for Salah. His clip is deflected off Wan-Bissaka, helping to loop the ball over De Gea and make it 4-0.
Well it's not like there's much going on here. So congratulations to Fulham, back in the Premier League next season. Can they do what they did not manage in 2018-19 and 2020-21, stay in the top flight?
That eases the pressure a fair bit. Just as the game was getting difficult Mane ups the lead, rolling the ball into the bottom corner off a Diaz cross. It's chaos at the back and with one move Mane frees himself to roll the ball in with accuracy.
You'd do well to say United are putting pressure on their hosts but Anfield seems to be a bit concerned as Sancho gets on the front foot. He brilliantly beats two players before slipping a pass through to Rashford. He in onside -- the linesman will subsequently say he was off but VAR would have overruled -- but he cannot get a shot past Alisson. Elanga wastes the rebound. That could have changed the game.
It's not exactly a great one but after 54 minutes the ball has been kicked at Liverpool's goal. It comes to Sancho just inside the box, his effort rolling through Alexander-Arnold's legs and into Alisson's arms.
Klopp fumes at Van Dijk after a sloppy start to the half from the center back. He seems to take it on the chin and after a few touches for the visitors in the attacking third Liverpool settle into a groove of possession, Thiago pulling the strings and keeping the ball moving apace.
Unsurprisingly Rangnick has made a change. Sancho is on for Jones and it would appear that United are going to a back four.
This...
For the second time this half Rashford bursts in behind chasing a long ball but can't quite get there quickly enough before Alisson clears. Really that looks like their only chance of having a shot, let alone scoring, in what has been a diabolical performance by the visitors. Liverpool are cruising to top spot.
Manchester United have completed one pass in the final third. Jordan Henderson has completed 10.
Fernandes delivers it to Maguire, who can't get enough on his header. Alisson claims it and the hosts are immediately away, a fizzing kick finding the Liverpool front three almost through on goal. A scramble defense does nothing but let Liverpool attack again. Fabinho just brushes his way into the box and drives low. Diaz gets a touch to divert the ball into the net but he's offside. This is a paddling.
De Gea comes way out of his box to head clear a ball in behind. You can't really blame him when everything behind him is panic. But he only heads the ball straight to Alexander-Arnold. For a moment he looks tempted to shoot but instead tries to clip the ball in behind for Salah. Maguire, for once, does just enough.
If you thought that was good wait until you see the second...
Now that would have been good enough to cut through a much better team. A one-two between Matip and Diaz before the former fizzes the ball in to Mane, whose clipped reverse pass unleashes Salah in behind. There's no sign of nerves as he hits the goal that puts them two in front. How many more do they want?
Admittedly the last two times I saw Liverpool they were playing Manchester City but it is mind blowing how much space they are being given. Alexander-Arnold has time to look up and pick a pass, Thiago is wondering where he wants to and the United defence are just standing around. Surely that can't be the plan?
It goes from bad to worse. Pogba has presumably suffered an injury -- he doesn't seem to be moving all that easily -- and on comes Lingard.
Home and away fans united to send their best wishes to Ronaldo, a touching sign of unity amid this bitter rivalry. The home fans begin chanting 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. Wonderful!
Liverpool build up nicely, drawing United's defense up the pitch, but one ball in behind by Mane down the right channel and the hosts are three on one (if that, Jones is miles behind). Salah squares it and Luiz Diaz is on hand to slot in the fourth goal of his excellent early start to life in England.
Fernandes gets the ball rolling for United, immediately knocking it back to Jones, who thumps it long into the left channel. The visitors get an early throw but Marcus Rashford can't flick the ball in behind.
The home fans are bellowing You'll Never Walk Alone. Plenty of eyes are on Phil Jones, stepping into the middle of a back three, where he will probably be up against Sadio Mane. His only other Premier League game this season saw him defend against Wolves' left flank from the right back spot. It's quite the step up in difficulty.
Last time Manchester United came to Anfield they were top of the league. They might even have won it but for the brilliance of Alisson. It's scarcely 15 months ago. It feels like a lifetime.
Confirmation from the visitors that "fans of Manchester United and Liverpool will unite in support of Cristiano Ronaldo and his family at tonight's match between the two teams at Anfield.
"A fan-led minute's applause will be held in the seventh minute of the game in a tribute to the Portuguese striker and his partner Georgina, after they announced the loss of their new-born baby boy on Monday."
Both sides will wear black armbands.
There's many changes we could have imagined Rangnick would make to counter the threat posed by Liverpool but Phil Jones!? Starting his second league game of the season!? In this economy!? Against this opponent!?
It's quite the gambit, particularly when Eric Bailly and Alex Telles are on the bench and perhaps suggests that United have one eye on Saturday's game against Arsenal.
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Thiago; Salah, Mane, Diaz
Subs: Kelleher, Konate, Gomez, Tsimikas, Milner, Keita, Jones, Jota, Origi
Manchester United XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Jones, Dalot; Matic, Pogba, Fernandes; Elanga, Rashford
Subs: Henderson, Telles, Bailly, Hannibal, Lingard, Mata, McTominay, Garnacho, Sancho
Here's how our expert thinks it's going to play out:
Today's game is another reminder of how far ahead of their rivals Liverpool are. They go into today's game strong favorites to add to a 19 point lead, in doing so boosting their bid to win a 20th English league title, one which would match United's record.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson left having won the last of those United have not looked like getting close. How long might that take to change? Rangnick believes only a few transfer windows.
"After two or three windows, if you know what you are looking for - I mean, if you don't know what you'll always be looking for the needle in a haystack - if you know what kind of football you want to play, what kind of profiles for each individual position, then it is about finding them. Not only finding them but convincing them to come.
"Liverpool at the time they finished eighth. The year after they didn't play (European) football at all, so the full focus in the second season of Jurgen was on the Premier League and the national cup competitions. Then it took, I don't know, two transfer windows. But even in the other transfer windows that came later on they just made a lot of very, very good transfers and signings. This is what it's all about.
"It is not that complicated, it's not rocket science but in order to have the best possible wind, you need to know where your destination haven is. If you don't know that, it's always difficult."
