Five 0-5 talking points: History made, stunning Salah stats and more
Mohamed Salah’s hat-trick propelled Liverpool to an extraordinary 5-0 win at Manchester United on Sunday.
Highlights: Man Utd 0-5 Liverpool
The No.11 was once again in irresistible form and his fourth treble for the club added to early goals by Naby Keita and Diogo Jota as the Reds posted their biggest-ever victory at Old Trafford.
Here are five talking points to emerge from an unforgettable afternoon in Manchester…
History makers
In repeating their 5-0 success at Watford eight days earlier, Jürgen Klopp’s team became the first side in Premier League history to win back-to-back away games by a margin of at least five goals without conceding.
Indeed, only once before in the club’s exalted 129-year existence has a Liverpool outfit won consecutive top-flight fixtures by five or more, with the previous instance occurring way back in April 1935.
This season, Klopp’s men have scored a minimum of three times in all eight of their away matches. On the road in 2021-22, it’s played eight, won seven, drawn one, scored 30, conceded six.
‘The best in the world’
Sometimes it’s better to let the stats do the talking.
So, Salah…
- Has scored in a record-extending 10 Liverpool appearances in a row.
- Is the first visiting player to score a Premier League hat-trick at Old Trafford, the second to net three in a game there for the Reds (after Fred Howe in 1936), and the first away player to bag a treble at United in any competition since Ronaldo in 2003.
- Is the first Liverpool player to score in three successive visits to Old Trafford.
- Is now the highest-scoring African player in Premier League history, overtaking Didier Drogba.
- Has scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 12 matches so far this season.
Boss
The victory was Klopp’s 200th at Liverpool and he is the fastest manager in the club’s history to reach that milestone figure.
It took the boss just 331 matches to do so – two fewer than Sir Kenny Dalglish, 19 fewer than Bob Paisley and 51 fewer than Bill Shankly.
The travelling Kop serenaded their leader in the latter stages of Sunday’s win and then rejoiced as he fulfilled their request for his trademark post-match celebration.
What a man. What a manager.
The Reds roll on
Liverpool remain unbeaten in 2021-22 and have won 10 of their 13 games across all competitions while scoring 41 times.
Overall, the Reds have gone 22 matches without defeat since early April and their run of 19 Premier League outings without losing (14 wins, five draws) is the longest ongoing sequence in English football’s top four divisions.
Next up, Preston North End in the Carabao Cup.
A week to savour
Back-to-back trips to Watford, Atletico Madrid and United in the space of eight days in the immediate aftermath of an international break?
No problem.
Liverpool navigated a demanding week in supreme fashion, reeling off three hugely impressive victories and racking up 13 goals in the process.
As Andy Robertson so accurately assessed: ‘What a week, Reds!’