Liverpool managed nine goals without reply in their clashes against rivals Manchester United last season, but their loss in August was the first real sign that something wasn’t right with them this year. Since then, their roles have reversed: United are in a title race, albeit only just, while Liverpool dropped into mid-table, although they remain in the hunt for a Champions League position.
Jürgen Klopp made three changes to the side that beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in mid-week. Andy Robertson, Jordan Henderson and Cody Gakpo replaced Kostas Tsimikas, Stefan Bajcetic and Diogo Jota. Liverpool set up in their usual 4-3-3 formation.
Erik ten Hag put out a weakened team to advance in the FA Cup in mid-week, but stuck with the same eleven that won the League Cup a week earlier. United lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape.
United attempted to press Liverpool high up the pitch but the Reds had no problem playing around them. Marcus Rashford would start central then follow the pass from Alisson Becker to whichever centre-back the goalkeeper passed out to, while Bruno Fernandes and Anthony would pressure the centre-backs while positioning themselves to block the passes into the full-backs. In midfield, United went man-for-man, with Wout Weghorst picking up Fabinho, Casemiro Harvey Elliott and Fred Henderson.
This didn’t work on several levels. Firstly, Rashford, Fernandes and Anthony are not defensively sound, and so Liverpool’s defenders found themselves able to simply waltz past them “under pressure”.
Secondly, Liverpool were able to easily work the ball around the forwards to find those passes into the full-backs that Anthony and Fernandes were meant to be blocking. The United winger might block the pass from the Liverpool centre-back to the full-back for example, but they did nothing to stop the pass into a Liverpool midfielder, who could then simply bounce the pass out to the Liverpool full-back behind the United winger, cutting him out of the game.
With Liverpool so easily able to break that first line of pressure, Casemiro and Fred were left with far too much work to do in midfield. They were already expected to mark Elliott and Henderson, but the wingers’ failure to effectively cut out Trent Alexander-Arnold and Robertson meant they were expected to deal with them too.
If Liverpool’s midfielders or full-backs were able to drag the United double pivot away from their nominal positions, then this left a massive space in the centre for Liverpool’s forwards to drop into. Typically this was Gakpo operating as a false nine, however Mohamed Salah also made use of this space too.
With United’s frontline failing to defend effectively, Casemiro and Fred were left dealing with five or six players between the two of them. This space they were expected to defend was only made bigger by United’s frontline dropping off, wary of Darwin Nuñez and Salah’s pace in behind.
United, easing off on their pressure to become a bit tighter in midfield, appeared to be coming back into the game towards the end of the half, getting a few chances and having a goal disallowed. United’s chances generally came when they snatched the ball back in midfield, countering while Liverpool’s midfielders were caught ahead of the ball, or from set-pieces.
When counter-attacking opportunities weren’t available though, they generally went direct to Wout Weghorst. Liverpool dealt with him easily though, having Ibrahima Konaté step up to battle with him in the air while Fabinho dropped back to cover in defence. Konaté nullified Weghorst’s aerial threat and the striker didn’t show the quality of pass needed to play effectively as a number ten.
Nevertheless it was Liverpool that took the lead just before the break. Alisson played the ball over Anthony to pick out Robertson, requiring Diogo Dalot to step out to meet him. With Dalot stepping out, Gakpo made a run to attack the space behind him, causing Fred to follow him, vacating the midfield. Robertson then attacked this space in the midfield, then cut back and shaped to pass out to Gakpo, causing Fred to move out toward the flank. With Fred moving wide, he again left space in the centre, so Robertson slid a pass through this gap for Gakpo to run onto and finish.
Whatever Ten Hag said at half-time clearly had the opposite effect to that intended, as just a minute into the second half, Liverpool doubled their lead. Luke Shaw handed the ball straight to Elliott and, although Casemiro was able to cut out the attack, he got the ball stuck in his feet and was offered no support by his teammates, allowing Fabinho to step in and recover the ball. He chipped the ball wide to Salah, whose cross was blocked by Shaw, only to fall to Elliott, who crossed first time onto Nuñez’s head to convert. United had multiple chances to get the ball away and failed every time.
Liverpool then added another on the counter minutes later. Gakpo fed the ball to Salah down the right, and he held up the ball, giving Gakpo time to join him in attack. The Egyptian took a touch inside before going back down the outside, sending Lisandro Martinez the wrong way, then slipped a simple pass into the middle, as Shaw never once checked his shoulder to see if anyone was making a run behind him. Gakpo was, and he picked up the ball and lifted it over David de Gea to get his second.
United’s response was horrendous. They kept giving the ball away in their own half, allowing Liverpool to break straight at them, and they frequently put up little fight as Liverpool passed around them.
Liverpool added another on the counter as Henderson robbed Anthony of the ball on the edge of the area and Liverpool broke forward four-against-two. Nuñez’s pass was intercepted but his follow-up deflected through to Salah, who rifled the ball home on his weaker right foot.
Liverpool added a fifth from a set-piece. United scrambled away the cross, but the loose ball fell to Henderson, who had the time to pick out a cross for Nuñez to finish.
Liverpool supporters began chanting “we want six” and they soon got it. Elliott was left completely free on the right, enabling him to cut inside and pass to the near post. Raphaël Varane squeezed the space, however the loose ball fell to Shaw, whose clearance deflected off of Diogo Jota straight to Salah to tap in first time.
Gakpo, Nuñez and Salah were all on hat-tricks, but the ball fell to the perfect man for the Reds’ final goal. Stefan Bajcetic intercepted the ball in the United half and it was played forward to Salah, who slipped the ball through to Roberto Firmino to finish. The Brazilian announced this week he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, and he will depart as a Liverpool legend, having showcased his magical skill and determined selflessness throughout his eight years at the club.
This result was the biggest ever win in this fixture, beating the previous record set in 1895 when United were still a load of railway workers called Newton Heath.
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