LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) – The balance of power had supposedly shifted from Liverpool to Manchester United with the arch-rivals heading in opposite directions, but that theory was blown to bits on Sunday.
Liverpool have had bragging rights over United pretty much since Juergen Klopp walked into Anfield in 2015, winning the Premier League, Champions League, both domestic cups and more.
But this season Klopp’s golden era seemed to be in decline with Liverpool a shadow of their best while United under Eric ten Hag appeared to be on the rise and last week won the League Cup, their first silverware since 2017.
On Sunday, however, Liverpool’s record 7-0 rout of the visitors reduced United’s new-found swagger to a stagger.
It more or less killed off any hopes United had of mounting a title charge in the last months of the season while hoisting Liverpool into fifth spot and firmly back in the hunt for a top-four finish that had looked unlikely earlier in the season.
Klopp could hardly stop smiling as he saluted the delirious Liverpool fans at a rocking Anfield, and who could blame him.
“A freak result and a top performance,” the German told reporters after Liverpool’s biggest ever win over United courtesy of braces for Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez and a late effort by Roberto Firmino.
“I don’t think the second half could start any better with the two early goals and then from that moment we were flying and it was really difficult to play against us.”
Liverpool have now won four of their last five league games after a run of three defeats in four and, while retrieving a 5-2 first-leg defeat by Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16 might be beyond them, they look to be back on track.
BEST PERFORMANCES
“It was one of the best performances for a long, long time,” Klopp added. “The main difference is that we now have pretty much all the players available.
“But we have to make these results count with the result of the next game. That’s what the plan is.”
Klopp paid tribute to Salah who became Liverpool’s record scorer in the Premier League with his double on Sunday taking him to 129, ahead of Robbie Fowler from 61 fewer games.
“It’s really, really special and we should not forget that just because we are used to him scoring a lot of goals,” Klopp said of the Egyptian. “He should be really proud of that.”
Liverpool go to bottom side Bournemouth next weekend having beaten the south-coast club 9-0 at Anfield earlier this season.
They are now just three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand and are on a roll.
“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, but now it is less of a good moment, we look more like ourselves,” said Klopp.
“It is important that everyone knows we are here and we are still alive.”
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)
