Mohamed Salah scored twice as Liverpool comfortably beat old rivals Manchester United 4-0 at Anfield on Tuesday to move top of the Premier League, for 24 hours at least. Liverpool moved to 76 points from 32 games with title rivals Manchester City on 74 points from one game fewer, with Pep Guardiola`s side hosting Brighton and Hove Albion at the Etihad on Wednesday.
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It was a miserable night for United who are now without a win in their last eight league clashes with Liverpool and who have failed to score in five of their last six trips to Anfield. United dropped below Arsenal on goal difference, falling to sixth place on 54 points, having played two games more than the Gunners.
Interim manager Ralf Rangnick, who was without Cristiano Ronaldo, mourning the death of his newborn son, opted to play five at the back with Phil Jones drafted in. It was an approach that simply did not work and Rangnick abandoned it at halftime but by then Liverpool was 2-0 up and in control.
Colombian Luis Diaz gave Liverpool a fifth-minute lead, tapping in from close range after Sadio Mane set Mohamed Salah free down the right and the Egyptian delivered a pinpoint low cross for a simple finish.
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United's problems got worse in the 10th minute when Paul Pogba limped off injured and with Rangnick's side struggling to get any foothold in the game, it was no surprise when the home side doubled their advantage.
Mane again provided the spark with a superb first-time pass finding Salah who, having lost his bewildered marker Diogo Dalot, cut in from the right and provided his trademark left-foot finish. The Senegalese creator turned finisher in the 68th minute, making it 3-0 after Andy Robertson broke down the left and then Diaz picked out Mane whose first-time finish on the turn flew into the bottom corner.
Salah completed the rout in the 85th minute as substitute Diogo Jota threaded a pass-through to the Egyptian, who beat David De Gea with a deflected finish that came off the leg of the sliding Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
(With inputs from Reuters)
