Mohamed Salah handed Liverpool a hat-trick as they humiliated Manchester United with a stunning 5-0 win at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday, putting Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s future in serious doubt.
United were 4-0 down at halftime for the first time in the Premier League after an embarrassing 45-minute defense, and a sense of chaos added to when substitute Paul Pogba was sent off at the hour mark after entering the game after the break.
The United hierarchy have shown faith in Solskjaer during a difficult time in his nearly three years in charge of the club, but will come under pressure to reconsider their loyalty to their former player after such an embarrassing performance and result.
“We know we’re rock bottom, we couldn’t feel worse than that,” said Solskjaer, who said though he had no intention of falling on his sword.
“I’ve come a long way, we’ve come a long way as a group. We’re so close to giving up now.”
Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool, who are in second place, one point behind leaders Chelsea, look like title contenders in every way, continuing their remarkable run of scoring form with Salah – 10th in all competitions Looking for goals for the game.
After his troubles with injuries last season. Liverpool look just as strong as the team that won the title in 2020 with their attack once again among the most destructive in the game.
“What we did in the last third was crazy. High pressure, winning balls, scoring amazing goals,” Klopp said.
“5-0, I couldn’t be happier, it’s extraordinary. Absolutely outstanding,” added the German.
It should have been United, although in the fourth minute, Bruno Fernandes had time and space inside the box but fired his shot wide.
Liverpool showed no such leniency a minute later when Luke Shaw gently played Salah onside and the Egyptian pinpoint cross was swung by Nabi Keita.
Eight minutes later, Shaw was at fault again, when he and Harry Maguire got in each other’s way and Keita took advantage of the ball being taken outside Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose bottom ball was struck in front of goal by Diogo Jota. was dropped.
Salah then made it 3–0, his opening shot from the edge of the field was blocked, but United’s defense failed to react and Keita pounced on the loose ball, pulling the ball back to Egypt, who One shot high into the net.
Cristiano Ronaldo was then lucky to remain on the field after taking only a yellow card to kick out Curtis Jones while the Liverpool midfielder was on the ground adjacent to the ball.
There was no sense of authority or discipline in the United defense and Salah made it four at the stroke of halftime with a near conversion of a low ball from Jota.
It was the first time United had been 4–0 behind at hiatus in the Premier League era and were yelled at off the field.
It took Salah just five minutes to complete his hat-trick after Jordan Henderson won off Pogba in midfield and swung a pass on the way forward.
United had a bad day as they had a Ronaldo goal offside by VAR and then substitute Pogba was sent off for a two-foot tackle on Keita 15 minutes after coming on.
It was a sign for Liverpool to finally take their foot off the gas and keep possession, while their supporters taunted Solskjaer and United fans for the final half hour of the game.
It was a brutal performance from Liverpool, their biggest win at Old Trafford, and a calamitous one from their rivals and it remains to be seen what the outcome of this humiliation will be.
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