Cape Town – In the aftermath of Manchester United’s 7-0 humiliation, Twitter users with a Liverpool alliance mockingly renamed coach Erik ten Hag, Eric ‘Seven’ Hag.
Liverpool’s epic win over United represents the biggest defeat at the hands of their arch-rivals in over 90 years. The unanswered seven-goal spree was started in the first half by Ten Hag’s fellow countryman Cody Gakpo, who scored the only first-half goal.
In the second half, Liverpool’s goal poachers hunted in pairs as the Anfield-based side added six more to close out one of the most astonishing drubbings in Premier League history.
Gakpo completed his brace while Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah followed suit with two goals each. In the process, the Egyptian Salah became Liverpool’s all-time record English Premier League goalscorer.
Salah was already the top-scoring African player in the Premier League. He also has Liverpool’s European scoring record with a goal in the recent 5-2 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid. That goal, his 42nd in Europe, took him past Steven Gerrard.
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The Brazilian Roberto Firmino came off the bench and added goal No 7 and the 53 000-strong Anfield crowd was in seventh heaven. It also extended United’s wait for a win at Anfield to seven years.
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The Liverpool-United clashes mark one of the biggest rivalries in world football but Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side has written a completely new chapter in its history with this rout. In 1895, Liverpool defeated Man United 7-1 when both teams were playing in Division 2.
It wasn’t only Ten Hag who was mocked, but United legend Roy Keane had a full go at the players after the match, saying: “The circus is back in town at Man Utd. I would go into hiding”.
IOL Sport
