LIVERPOOL: The balance of power had supposedly shifted from Liverpool to Manchester United with the arch-rivals heading in opposite directions, but that theory was blown to bits on Sunday.

Liverpool have had bragging rights over United pretty much since Juergen Klopp walked into Anfield in 2015, winning the Premier League, Champions League, both domestic cups and more.

But this season Klopp’s golden era seemed to be in decline with Liverpool a shadow of their best while United under Eric ten Hag appeared to be on the rise and last week won the League Cup, their first silverware since 2017.

On Sunday, however, Liverpool’s record 7-0 rout of the visitors reduced United’s new-found swagger to a stagger.

It more or less killed off any hopes United had of mounting a title charge in the last months of the season while hoisting Liverpool into fifth spot and firmly back in the hunt for a top-four finish that had looked unlikely earlier in the season.

Klopp could hardly stop smiling as he saluted the delirious Liverpool fans at a rocking Anfield, and who could blame him.

“A freak result and a top performance,” the German told reporters after Liverpool’s biggest ever win over United courtesy of braces for Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez and a late effort by Roberto Firmino.

“I don’t think the second half could start any better with the two early goals and then from that moment we were flying and it was really difficult to play against us.”

Liverpool have now won four of their last five league games after a run of three defeats in four and, while retrieving a 5-2 first-leg defeat by Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16 might be beyond them, they look to be back on track.

“It was one of the best performances for a long, long time,” Klopp added. “The main difference is that we now have pretty much all the players available. But we have to make these results count with the result of the next game. That’s what the plan is.”

In a desperately disappointing season, the signings of Nunez and Gakpo for a combined 100 million ($121 million) have been questioned. But both enjoyed by a distance the best day of their Liverpool careers to prove the doubters wrong.

“We showed tonight what we could be, what we can be and what we have to be from now on,” said Klopp. “We don’t talk about the scoreline, we just talk about the performance.

“A few months ago everyone thought it was a good moment to play Liverpool — you can’t say it publicly but everyone thought it — because they felt we were struggling a lot, but now it is less of a good moment, we look more like ourselves. It is important that everyone knows we are here and we are still alive.”

UNITED ATTEMPT RESET

The fact that both players were once linked with United will sting even more for the Red Devils with a centre-forward a priority this summer if the progress they have made under Ten Hag is not to stall next season.

The embarrassing mauling was a brutal reality check for Ten Hag’s improving side but the manager has urged his men to bounce back this week.

Ten Hag’s men had travelled to the home of their biggest rivals with a spring in their step after just one defeat in 22 games and still on a high after beating Newcastle to win the League Cup at Wembley.

Their impressive run also included a landmark win against Barcelona in the Europa League as they chased success on four fronts.

But they came away from Anfield with their tails between their legs after the joint-heaviest defeat in the storied history of the 20-time English champions.

The humiliation ends fanciful talk of a potential quadruple, leaving third-placed United 14 points behind leaders Arsenal and well adrift of second-placed Manchester City.

Ten Hag was scathing in his assessment of his team, accusing the players of an “unprofessional” and “unacceptable” performance.

The wretched display shows how much work the Dutchman still has to do to rebuild a club that have not won the Premier League since 2013, despite unmistakeable signs of progress this season.

United had already endured an embarrassing 6-3 defeat at Manchester City this season, as well as a 4-0 loss at Brentford.

The debacle at Anfield was a new low but Ten Hag urged his team to use it as motivation for the rest of the season, starting in Thursday’s Europa League last-16 first leg at home to Real Betis.

“We have seen in the past we can bounce back — after Brentford, after Manchester City,” he told the BBC. “This is definitely a strong setback and is unacceptable. I’m really disappointed and angry about it. It is a reality check. We have to take this strong.”

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2023