For Liverpool, it was the wildest of desires. For Manchester United, the worst nightmare in what has been such a promising first season in cost for supervisor Erik ten Hag.
Liverpool’s 7-0 rout of United within the Premier League on Sunday (March 5) has the potential to have a long-lasting affect on each groups’ ambitions this time period. It was United’s worst aggressive defeat in additional than 90 years, having misplaced by the identical scoreline on three earlier events — the final time coming in 1931 in opposition to Wolverhampton.
The end result additionally eclipsed Liverpool’s earlier greatest victory in opposition to arguably its fiercest rival, which was a 7-1 win in 1895. “A few months ago everyone thought it was a good moment to play Liverpool — you can’t say it publicly but everyone thought it — because they felt we were struggling a lot,” manager Jurgen Klopp said. “But now it is less of a good moment, we look much more like ourselves. It is important that everyone knows we are here and we are still alive.”
A day to recollect.
We assume you may take pleasure in these, Reds…_ pic.twitter.com/ZqNYPMWTuI
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 5, 2023
A landmark win may very well be the launchpad for a strong end to the marketing campaign for Liverpool, a push for Champions League qualification and probably extra. Ten Hag, in the meantime, should hope his gamers reply within the method they did after humbling losses in opposition to Brentford and Manchester City this season, which sparked spectacular undefeated runs.
A four-pronged trophy pursuit now appears to be like extremely unlikely, with third-place United 14 factors adrift of league chief Arsenal. But after successful the League Cup final week, Ten Hag’s facet stays in rivalry for the FA Cup and Europa League, in what nonetheless has the potential to be a triumphant marketing campaign.
Not that the Dutchman was within the temper to search for the positives within the rapid aftermath of what was additionally his worst-ever defeat as a supervisor. “That for me is unprofessional,” he mentioned. “I’m actually upset and indignant. We let our followers down. As a squad, as a group, you can’t enable this.
“You have to stick together and support each other and fight for each other. You have to defend. We didn’t do that and for me that is really unprofessional.”
Ten Hag has endured his share of robust days in his first season answerable for the 20-time league champions. United misplaced 4-0 to Brentford in solely the second recreation of the marketing campaign and was overwhelmed 6-3 in his first Manchester derby.
“I know this team will reset and we have to bounce back and we have shown in the past we can,” he mentioned.
Klopp has had his personal issues this time period as his group has struggled to deal with the departure of Sadio Mane final summer season. Until just lately, even a Champions League qualifying top-four end appeared unsure, with Liverpool struggling bruising losses to Brentford, Brighton and Wolverhampton for the reason that begin of 2023.
This win, nevertheless, closes the hole to fourth-place Tottenham to 3 factors with a recreation in hand. It was additionally proof of a rising understanding between Liverpool’s new-look assault as Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah all scored twice, with Roberto Firmino including the opposite.
“It was one of the best performances for a long, long time. Everybody saw how good the boys can be,” Klopp mentioned. “No one was doubting Darwin’s future impact. Cody plays in the most difficult area in the pitch against a man-marking side, which is super tricky. Mo is Mo.”
With fourth place now in sight, Liverpool followers may but dream of an unlikely comeback within the Champions League round-of-16 recreation in opposition to Real Madrid later this month. While European champions Madrid lead 5-2 after the primary leg at Anfield, this was the kind of efficiency to make the Merseyside membership imagine something is feasible.
Klopp’s evaluation of Sunday’s recreation was concise: “Freak result, top performance.”
Record-Breaking Mohamed Salah
Salah grew to become Liverpool’s all-time main scorer within the Premier League with 129 targets in 205 appearances. The Egypt worldwide surpassed Robbie Fowler’s Premier League tally together with his second purpose.
“It’s very special, I can’t lie. This record was in my mind since I came here,” Salah informed Sky Sports.
Salah earlier within the week grew to become solely the second Liverpool participant after Ian Rush to attain 20 targets for a sixth successive season.
(with PTI inputs)
