Liverpool thrash miserable Man Utd to go top of Premier League

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool embarrassed Manchester United for the second time this season to move top of the Premier League as Mohamed Salah struck twice in a 4-0 thrashing on Tuesday. Jurgen Klopp’s men won 5-0 at Old Trafford in October and expectations of a similar rout were well-founded as Liverpool exposed the massive gulf between the sides with Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane also on target. Liverpool move two points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the table, but still need the English champions to slip up in their remaining seven league games of the season to win the title.

In contrast to the fine margins separating Liverpool and City, a 22-point gap now lies between the league leaders and United in sixth with only Tottenham and Arsenal’s own failings keeping the Red Devils in the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League. United interim manager Ralf Rangnick forewarned what would happen to his side if they defended as they did in a 3-2 home win over bottom-of-the-table Norwich on Saturday. The German’s attempt to plug the holes in the United defense was a recall for Phil Jones, making just his second Premier League appearance since January 2020, as part of a back five.

But it took just five minutes for the visitors to be cut open. Mane’s through ball picked out Salah in acres of space and he found Diaz to apply a simple finish from close range. Two minutes later the fierce rivalry between English football’s two most successful clubs was set aside in a show of support for Cristiano Ronaldo.