Mohamed Salah nets hat-trick as rampant Liverpool claim record win at Man Utd
Posted Monday, October 25, 2021 by PA
Mohamed Salah scored a hat-trick as Manchester United were ripped apart by relentless rivals Liverpool to leave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer under the most intense scrutiny of his near three years in charge.
The 202nd meeting of two of English football’s biggest rivals will live long in the memory after Jurgen Klopp’s men ran amok and recorded the club’s biggest ever win at Old Trafford.
Liverpool were as impressive as United were poor, with scintillating Salah’s treble complementing early goals from Naby Keita and Diogo Jota in a 5-0 rout in which substitute Paul Pogba was sent off.
Sir Alex Ferguson was seen shaking his head in disbelief after the fifth goal, with the visiting fans chanting Solskjaer’s name during an embarrassing display that will test the Old Trafford hierarchy’s support of their manager.
Never before in Premier League history had United gone into half-time four goals behind, but their consistently poor defence was punished by Liverpool as Keita and Jota scored before two Salah strikes.
A cacophony of boos met the half-time whistle and the Egyptian magician completed his hat-trick five minutes after the restart, with Pogba’s red card for a poor tackle on Keita compounding matters.
Liverpool were unable to add anymore and Cristiano Ronaldo saw a goal ruled out for offside in a second half that ended with empty seats and jeers, 10 years and a day since the 6-1 home loss to Manchester City.
There was a crackling atmosphere before kick-off at Old Trafford, where play started at breakneck speed as Bruno Fernandes flashed over at the end of a promising early move for the hosts.
But United’s threat going forwards comes with an unsteady foundation that Liverpool exposed within five minutes.
Hapless Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof were caught out of position, with Luke Shaw too late to step up in an attempt to play Salah offside. The Egyptian played through Keita to fire home in front of a stunned Stretford End, whose nightmare had just begun.
Roberto Firmino was denied by David De Gea and Salah struck wide as United wobbled, with Liverpool grabbing a second in the 13th minute after Marcus Rashford had fired narrowly wide at the other end.
A mix-up between Maguire and Shaw allowed Keita to play wide for Trent Alexander-Arnold to fizz in a low cross for Jota to turn home at the far post as United paid for more terrible defending.
The home faithful groaned as their side continued to creak at the back, albeit they were still having chances at the other end and Shaw sent an effort skipping just wide.
Curtis Jones replaced the injured James Milner midway through the first half as play swung from end to end, with Alisson Becker denying Mason Greenwood before Keita narrowly missed Firmino at the far post.
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