Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah all scored twice as Liverpool shrugged off a season of frustration to thrash Manchester United 7-0 at Anfield on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Jurgen Klopp\u2019s men set a new record margin of victory in the clash between English football\u2019s two most successful clubs.<\/span><\/p>\n Just a second defeat in 23 games in all competitions realistically ends United\u2019s hopes of a first league title in a decade as they remain 14 points adrift of leaders Arsenal in third.<\/span><\/p>\n But there could even more lasting damage from the club\u2019s heaviest defeat since 1931.<\/span><\/p>\n Liverpool close to within three points of fourth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand on Spurs still to come.<\/span><\/p>\n Klopp\u2019s side won the two league meetings between the teams by an aggregate score of 9-0 last season, but the tables had seemingly turned this season.<\/span><\/p>\n A 2-1 win over the Reds in August gave Erik ten Hag his first win as United boss and they started the day 10 points clear of Liverpool.<\/span><\/p>\n Liverpool have looked a shadow of the side that came close to an unprecedented quadruple of trophies last season.<\/span><\/p>\n But either side of a 5-2 humiliation on home soil by Real Madrid, they have got back in the race for a place in the Champions League next season thanks to a run of 13 points from a possible 15 in the Premier League.<\/span><\/p>\n Ten Hag told his players to embrace the hostile environment of Anfield, where United have not won since 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n The visitors were forced to see off an early onslaught, but still arguably had the better chances of a fractious first half.<\/span><\/p>\n Bruno Fernandes headed inches wide and Marcus Rashford should have continued his blistering goalscoring form when he fired tamely into the arms of Alisson.<\/span><\/p>\n Casemiro also saw a goal ruled out for offside, but Liverpool finally produced a moment of quality in the final third to break the deadlock two minutes before the break.<\/span><\/p>\n Andy Robertson\u00a0sliced open the United defence to play in Gakpo, who cut inside and fired low into the far corner.<\/span><\/p>\n Ten Hag\u2019s men were then blown away in the second period as Liverpool\u2019s new-look front three finally clicked.<\/span><\/p>\n Nunez punished sloppy United defending as the Uruguayan stooped to head in Harvey Elliott\u2019s cross.<\/span><\/p>\n Moments later, Gakpo scored his second with a delightful dink over David de Gea at the end of a lightning Liverpool counter-attack.<\/span><\/p>\n It could have been even worse for United as Robertson and Ibrahima Konate saw efforts fly inches wide.<\/span><\/p>\n But Salah got the goal his performance deserved as he crashed in Nunez\u2019s through ball off the underside of the bar.<\/span><\/p>\n Nunez then headed in his second as he was left completely unmarked from Jordan Henderson\u2019s cross.<\/span><\/p>\n Salah moved outright as Liverpool\u2019s all-time Premier League goalscorer with 129 with a simple tap in after more shambolic United defending.<\/span><\/p>\n Roberto Firmino will move on to pastures new at the end of the season it was revealed this week.<\/span><\/p>\n But the Brazilian came off the bench to have the final say as he slotted a remarkable seventh two minutes from time.<\/span><\/p>\n AFP<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah all scored twice as Liverpool shrugged off a season of frustration to thrash Manchester United 7-0 at Anfield on 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