Manchester United 0, Liverpool 5
10-man Manchester United sustained a heavy 5-0 beating from Liverpool at Old Trafford including a Mo Salah hat trick.
United legend Paul Scholes had predicted that United’s performance against Atalanta on Wednesday wouldn’t faze today’s opponents and he was ultimately proved correct as the visitors ran out 5-0 winners with Mo Salah netting a hat trick before Paul Pogba was sent off and Cristiano Ronaldo had a consolation goal ruled out by VAR.
It was their heaviest ever defeat at home to Liverpool, and the first time they had lost to-nil by five or more goals at home since February 1955 – a 5-0 defeat against Manchester City.
United remained unchanged from the win over Atalanta after Bruno Fernandes, Fred, and Marcus Rashford were declared fit to play so Paul Pogba remained on the bench for the big clash at Old Trafford.
Fabinho was the big miss for Liverpool – he had a knock to his knee which wasn’t thought to be a long term issue.
Ibrahima Konate came in for Joel Matip while Jota came in for Sadio Mane in their two changes from the Atletico Madrid game in midweek.
Terrible defending allowed Liverpool to run into a 2-0 lead after 13 minutes and go on to an unprecedented 4-0 half time lead at Old Trafford in the Premier League.
Naby Keita and Diogo Jota rattled in two early goals to put United on the back foot quickly after some wretched defending by the Reds.
The Reds were reduced to hopeful long shots which had little chance of coming off – Luke Shaw went close with one past the far post.
The visitors had to make early changes after James Milner and Naby Keita went off injured but that did little to slow Liverpool’s attacking tidal wave from washing over United.
But between these injuries Mo Salah showed his world class talent with a hat trick between the 31st and 50th minutes.
Any lingering hopes of a United comeback were ended when Paul Pogba was sent off after a VAR decision on the hour mark upgraded a yellow card on a nasty challenge that saw Keita stretchered off to a red card.
Pogba had only been on the field since half time and his sending off on the hour left United with their backs against the wall and VAR was also unkind again to the Reds – denying them even a consolation when Cristiano Ronaldo was adjudged to be offside after he thought he had pulled one back.
The 5-0 defeat now ranks among the worst home defeats at Old Trafford in the Premier League along the infamous 6-1 at home to Manchester City 10 years and a day ago – the same scoreline against Spurs only a year ago.
PLAYER RATINGS – Man Utd 0, Liverpool 5
David De Gea: 6. Busy from the start keeping shots out, furious with lack of protection.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka: 6. Contributed nothing going forward, and Liverpool didn’t even target his side.
Victor Lindelof: 5. Looked lost at the speed to Liverpool attacks.
Harry Maguire: 5. Mixup at the back with Luka Shaw allowed Diogo Jota to score.
Luke Shaw: 6. Out of position too many times but went close with a shot that went wide of the back post.
Scott McTominay: 5. Forced back into a deeper midfield position when Liverpool poured forward. Offered no protection to the back four.
Fred: 5. Started a great early move with a good pass but faded as Liverpool powered past him at will
Mason Greenwood: 6. Had United’s first shot on target, a tame effort after 29 minutes which Alisson dealt with. Unfairly hooked at the break as the most junior of United’s attackers.
Bruno Fernandes: 5. Blazed over a great early chance, tried hard to prove his fitness by pressing but United collapsed after that.
Marcus Rashford: 5. Sloppy defensively but at least tried to attack, little support when he did though.
Cristiano Ronaldo: 5. Looked lost, blazed over when a chance came to him and so frustrated he lashed out at Curtis Jones was on the ground with it. Thought he had scored early in the second half but VAR ruled it offside.
MATCH STATS – Man Utd 0, Liverpool 5
Man Utd: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, McTominay, Fred, Greenwood (Pogba 46), Fernandes (Cavani 62), Rashford (Dalot 62), Ronaldo
Man Utd subs: Henderson, Bailly, Lingard, Sancho, Matic, van de Beek
Bookings: Shaw 41 (foul on Mo Salah); Ronaldo 45+1 (ungentlemanly conduct); Fred 45+3 (high boot on Kaby Keita); Fernandes; Maguire 55 (foul on Diogo Jota); Wan-Bissaka 86 (foul on Diogo Jota);
Red Card: Pogba 60 (two footed challenge on Kaby Keita after VAR review by Anthony Taylor upgraded his yellow card)
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Keita (Oxlade-Chamberlain 64), Henderson, Milner (Jones 26), Salah, Firmino (Mane 75), Jota
Liverpool subs: Adrian, Gomez, Minamino, Tsimikas, Origi, Matip
Goals: Keita 5; Jota 13; Salah 38. 45+5, 50
Referee: Anthony Taylor