Liverpool humiliate United with emphatic 7-0 win

Liverpool ripped Manchester United apart with a staggering 7-0 win at Anfield as Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah all grabbed braces.

Action: The first-half was quite even with both sides creating chances in the opening stages of the game.

In the dying moments of the first period, the new signing Cody Gakpo gave Liverpool the lead, after Andy Robertson found the run of the Dutchman, who cut inside and curled the ball into the bottom right corner of the net.

Seconds into the second half, the Reds doubled their lead through Darwin Nunez with a close-range finish from a Harvey Elliott cross after sloppy defending from Luke Shaw and Casemiro.

The third came three minutes later, when Gakpo linked up with Salah and beat David de Gea with a lovely chip from an acute angle.

An Alisson howler nearly gifted the Red Devils a way back into the game in the 54th minute, but Bruno Fernandes failed to pounce on Alisson's heavy touch.

With United completely lost on the pitch, Liverpool added a fourth after a quick counter-attack with Nunez feeding Salah - with help from a deflection off Scott McTominay - and the Egyptian fired a powerful effort from 12 yards.

Jurgen Klopp's men were merciless towards a pathetic second-half performance from Erik ten Hag's side and scored a fifth with 75 minutes on the clock, with Nunez rising highest to head home Jordan Henderson's cross.

In the 83rd minute, Salah tapped home Reds' sixth after more hapless United defending. With that goal, the 30-year-old scored his 129th Premier League goal and became Liverpool's highest Premier League goal scorer of all time, overtaking Robbie Fowler.

Roberto Firmino came off the bench to put the icing on the cake with Liverpool's seventh goal after latching onto a Salah pass in the box.

Big Picture: With this performance, Liverpool boosted their top-four hopes as thei win lifted them above Newcastle United into fifth on 42 points, three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand.

This was also their biggest win in the history of the fixture, passing Liverpool's 7-1 victory in the 1895-96 Second Division.

The heavy defeat left them in third place on 49 points and almost out of the title race as they are now 14 points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Next up, Liverpool travel to Bournemouth in the Premier League next Saturday, while Manchester United will play the first leg of the Europa League last-16 tie against Real Betis on Thursday and then will host Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday.

Reaction: Mohamed Salah: "It's very special, I can't lie. This record was in my mind since I came here. After my first season I was always chasing the record. 

"To get it today against United with that result is unbelievable. I'm going home to celebrate with the family, Chamomile tea and sleep."

xG: Liverpool (2.91) 7-0 (0.92) Man Utd

Stat of the Day: Manchester United have suffered their joint-heaviest ever competitive defeat, alongside 7-0 losses to Wolves in December 1931, Aston Villa in December 1930 and Blackburn Rovers in April 1926.