The following is your Liverpool morning digest for Wednesday, April 20.
Liverpool’s masterclass was summed up by what Paul Scholes did when Thiago departed the field.
Before kick-off, the sign on the Kop sent a simple, effective message to the rest of English football, those who can only look on with envy right now: Imagine being us.
Imagine you’re in Liverpool. Consider yourself in mid-April, with everything still up for grabs. Consider yourself on the verge of football immortality. Consider this: These fans aren’t required to.
But that’s about all any other set of supporters can do right now, as Liverpool returned to Premier League duty by topping the table with another thrashing of Manchester United.
This 4-0 victory over United was the most convincing since, well, the very last one in October, when they blasted their opponents out of sight at Old Trafford. For those keeping track, it’s currently nine days without a response. Prior to Tuesday night, the Red Devils had never allowed more than seven goals to the same opposition in a season.
Not since Chelsea in 2007 has a team progressed this far into a season still in contention for an incredible quadruple, and Jurgen Klopp and his players will surpass the Londoners’ end date of May 1 when they compete in a Champions League semi-final in Villarreal on May 3rd. But, rather than being burdened by the weight of history, the Reds have been inspired and energized by it.
There can be no sweeter success for Liverpool than this because it was a victory that harmed both sides in Manchester. After ruining Pep Guardiola’s treble hopes at Wembley, they leapfrogged their title rivals by crushing United in another lopsided match between these two sporting titans.
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The willingness to overlook the Manchester United badge on the shirts and simply play the confidence-shot, mishmash of non-committal players wearing them was vital to this recent win. That hasn’t always been the case when these two have faced in recent years, but with their visitors facing a dire season, Klopp’s players absolutely had to make this one matter.
So, while this match will always be remembered as the biggest in English football, the fact that this victory has now put Liverpool 22 points ahead of their main competitor further emphasizes the gap between them at the moment. A floundering United have rarely been as clearly second best to the Reds in the Premier League era, and on this evidence, it will be some time before they can pose a true danger to either of their most despised rivals at the top of the English game.
Sir Alex Ferguson has gone viral once more.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s expression said it all as he watched his beloved Manchester United get ripped apart by Liverpool in a thrilling 45-minute match at Anfield.
Sky Sports filmed the iconic former Manchester United manager’s face as Mohamed Salah finished off a fantastic move to put Liverpool 2-0 up in the 22nd minute.
Ferguson, facing Jurgen Klopp’s all-conquering side for the second time this season, was taken aback by what was happening in front of him.
Back in October, the 80-year-old was photographed looking depressed during Liverpool’s 5-0 triumph against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
And he must have felt it again when Salah added to Luis Diaz’s fifth-minute opener after an emotional show of solidarity to Cristiano Ronaldo and his family.
Contrast Ferguson with his old adversary, Sir Kenny Dalglish. Sky Sports also caught the Liverpool legend on camera. But his face was beaming with excitement as his beloved Reds edged closer to taking over at the top of the Premier League.
