The resurgent Liverpool team thrashed Manchester United at Anfield, with Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, and Darwin Nunez scoring two goals each.
While manager Jurgen Klopp has been hesitant to label his team’s recent run of form as a genuine comeback, the Reds have rolled back the years at the expense of their main rivals.
Liverpool flew out of the blocks, as was so often the case during Klopp’s glory years, and looked particularly dangerous through Salah, who was guilty of dragging his shots wide in the first few minutes.
United, who were on the back foot for the first 30 minutes, gradually gained control of the game and could have opened the scoring through either Bruno Fernandes or Marcus Rashford. They, on the other hand, fluffed their lines from close range.
Gakpo scored five minutes before the break. After a fierce ball from Andy Robertson, the Dutchman got in behind Fred and away from the covering Raphael Varane before unleashing an emphatic finish over David De Gea.
Nonetheless, United would have gone into the break confident of mounting a comeback, as they did just a few days ago against Barcelona.
Liverpool would put an end to that soon. Nunez headed home minutes into the second half before United collapsed.
Gakpo drifted in and hit a sublime finish over De Gea to put the hosts three up before Salah made it four with a lethal strike after a Liverpool counter.
By the time Nunez towered above the United defense to head in his second, it all felt a bit Ralf Rangnick era for the travelling support. When Salah’s second made it six, and him the club’s all-time top Premier League goalscorer, it somehow felt worse.
Such was United’s apathy, Roberto Firmino managed to find the time to add a seventh, capping off an emotional week in which he announced the imminent end to his Liverpool career.
Despite the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag this season, their ability to capitulate appears to be constant.
Liverpool has closed the gap in the top four to three points, while Manchester United is once again looking over their shoulders. Things can change so quickly.
