Cody Gakpo, Darwin Núñez and Mohamed Salah each scored twice as Liverpool brushed aside a season of frustration to thrash Manchester United 7‑0 at Anfield on Sunday. Jurgen Klopp’s men set a new record margin of victory in the clash between English football’s two most successful clubs. The defeat, only the second in 23 games across all competitions, realistically ends United’s hopes of a first league title in a decade, leaving them 14 points adrift of leaders Arsenal in third place. It also marks the club’s heaviest loss since 1931.
Liverpool moved within three points of fourth‑placed Tottenham, with a game in hand on Spurs still to come. Last season, Klopp’s side had won the two league meetings between the teams by an aggregate score of 9‑0, but the tables seemed to have turned this season. United had taken a 2‑1 win over the Reds in August, giving Erik ten Hag his first victory as United boss and leaving them 10 points clear of Liverpool at the time.
Liverpool have looked a shadow of the side that came close to an unprecedented quadruple of trophies last season. Yet, despite a 5‑2 humiliation at home to Real Madrid, they have re‑entered the race for a Champions League place thanks to a run of 13 points from a possible 15 in the Premier League. Ten Hag urged his players to embrace the hostile environment of Anfield, where United have not won since 2016. The visitors weathered an early onslaught but arguably had the better chances in a fractious first half. Bruno Fernandes headed inches wide, and Marcus Rashford, who had been in blistering goal‑scoring form, fired tamely into Alisson’s arms. Casemiro also saw a goal ruled out for offside.
Liverpool finally broke the deadlock two minutes before the break. Andy Robertson sliced open United’s defence to play in Gakpo, who cut inside and fired low into the far corner. In the second period, Liverpool’s new‑look front three clicked. Núñez punished sloppy United defending, stooping to head in Harvey Elliott’s cross. Moments later, Gakpo scored his second with a delightful dink over David de Gea at the end of a lightning counter‑attack. Robertson and Ibrahima Konaté saw efforts fly inches wide, but Salah earned his goal as he crashed in Núñez’s through ball off the underside of the bar. Núñez then headed in his second, unmarked from Jordan Henderson’s cross. Salah moved outright into Liverpool’s all‑time Premier League scorer’s list with 129 goals after a simple tap‑in following more shambolic United defending.
Roberto Firmino, who will leave at the end of the season, came off the bench to have the final say, slotted a remarkable seventh goal two minutes from time.
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