Home ›› 21 Apr 2022 ›› Sport
Mohamed Salah scored twice as Liverpool thumped old rivals Manchester United 4-0 at Anfield on Tuesday to move top of the Premier League, for 24 hours at least.
After a 5-0 win at Old Trafford in October, this was another humiliation of United by Juergen Klopp’s team, who were barely threatened by their lifeless opponents.
Liverpool moved to 76 points from 32 games with title rivals Manchester City on 74 points from one game fewer, with Pep Guardiola’s side hosting Brighton and Hove Albion at the Etihad on Wednesday.
It was a miserable night for United who are now without a win in their last eight league clashes with Liverpool and have failed to score in five of their last six trips to Anfield.
United dropped below Arsenal on goal difference, falling to sixth place on 54 points, having played two games more than the Gunners.
Liverpool fans put rivalry with Manchester United aside to show support to Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday, a day after the Portuguese star revealed his newborn baby son had died.
Supporters from both sides stood to applaud during the seventh minute of a clash between English football’s two most successful clubs at Anfield, a reference to Ronaldo’s shirt number. Liverpool fans also sang their famous anthem “You’ll never walk alone”.
Colombian Luis Diaz gave Liverpool a fifth-minute lead, tapping in from close range after Sadio Mane set Mohamed Salah free down the right and the Egyptian delivered a pinpoint low cross.
Mane again provided the spark with a superb first-time pass finding Salah who cut in from the right and provided his trademark left-foot finish.
The Senegalese creator turned finisher in the 68th minute, making it 3-0 after Andy Robertson broke down the left and then Diaz picked out Mane whose first time finish flew into the bottom corner.
Salah completed the rout in the 85th minute as substitute Diogo Jota threaded a pass through to him, who beat David De Gea with a deflected finish that came off the sliding Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
