MANCHESTER, England — Arne Slot extended his 100 percent positive start as Liverpool manager with a 3-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, putting manager Erik ten Hag under renewed pressure at the club.
Two first-half goals from Luis Diaz (VAR also ruled out a Trent Alexander-Arnold goal for offside) and a second-half strike from Mohamed Salah sealed an easy win for Liverpool, who moved joint top of the Premier League with Manchester City on nine points. United's defeat was their second in three league games this season, and leaves Ten Hag's side with doubts about their ability to challenge for Champions League qualification after spending more than £180m on new players over the summer.
Ten Hag humiliated by Slot
Ten Hag, who is entering his third season as Manchester United manager, was humiliated by Slot, who was in just his third game as Liverpool manager. The build-up to this game was dominated by the story of the two Dutch managers who have made the transition from the Eredivisie to take charge of the Premier League's two biggest clubs, but it was Slot who looked more like a manager who has been in charge for years, rather than Ten Hag.
Last season's FA Cup win over Manchester City at Wembley kept Ten Hag in his place at Old Trafford, but all the problems that threatened his position last year resurfaced in the defeat to Liverpool.
For too long under Ten Hag, United have been outclassed in midfield, lacked attacking danger and also had problems with their full-backs. Some of that can be attributed to personnel, but the players have changed over time and the problems have not gone away.
Casemiro lacks the mobility to play in the Premier League, but Bruno Fernandes plays so far forward that he leaves gaping holes in midfield. Ten Hag has had plenty of time to correct that flaw, but he hasn't, and that's why Liverpool dominated the central third of the pitch.
In attack, Ten Hag persevered with an out-of-form Marcus Rashford, who is yet to score this season. Summer signing Joshua Zirkzee also looks far from fit and quick-thinking, and Ten Hag’s substitutions – he left Rashford on the pitch for the full 90 minutes but withdrew the impressive Alejandro Garnacho – invite further scrutiny.
Ten Hag said last week that Slot inherited a better team at Liverpool than the one he got at United, but Ten Hag has now had plenty of time to make a difference. This performance was worrying for the former Ajax manager because it seemed like a case of again-again, same-old problems. –Mark Ogden
Casemiro's disastrous 45 minutes
Casemiro has two years left on his contract at Old Trafford, but this could be the day his Manchester United career ends.
With the first half almost over (with Liverpool leading 2-0), the Brazilian sent a hopeful ball forward unnoticed. There were loud groans from the stands and Garnacho, the nearest United player, raised his arms in frustration.
It was the final act of a truly dreadful performance, with Ten Hag deciding at half-time that Casemiro could not continue. In his place came 20-year-old Toby Collyer, making his first competitive appearance. In reality, Ten Hag wanted to use Manuel Ugarte, the £50m signing from Paris Saint-Germain who was watching the game from the directors' box.
Ugarte, the fiery defensive midfielder, was introduced on the pitch before kick-off but was not registered in time to play. After Casemiro's horror show, it's probably safe to say he'll be involved when United play Southampton again after the international break.
In just 45 minutes, Casemiro lost possession 13 times and made two errors that led directly to goals. First, he gave the ball to Ryan Gravenberch in midfield in the build-up to Diaz's opener. Then, he lost the ball on the edge of his own penalty area moments before Diaz cleared Salah's cross for 2-0. In between, there was one error after another and a throw-in that bounced off his shin and went out of bounds.
It was a performance that will long be remembered, for all the wrong reasons. — Rob Dawson
Salah returns to haunt United
Salah has now scored in each of his last five Premier League games for Liverpool at Old Trafford. No other player in the Premier League era has scored with such regularity against Manchester United on their home turf.
But it wasn't just Salah's second-half goal that marked his performance for Liverpool. He also created Diaz's first goal and came close to scoring the second one minute before making it 3-0.
The 32-year-old said after the game that this will be his last season at Liverpool as his contract expires in the summer. A lot can happen between now and May, so it would be foolish to rule out the possibility of Liverpool and Salah reaching an agreement to extend his contract.
However, if he does leave Anfield, the sense of relief at United will be almost as great as the sense of loss at Liverpool.
The former Chelsea and AS Roma striker has become a Liverpool legend during his seven years at the club and will go down in history as one of the Premier League's greatest strikers, comparable to Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Didier Drogba and Erling Haaland. –Ogden
Liverpool's midfield purrs, United's is porous
As bad as Casemiro was, you could be forgiven for looking on with envy at the elegant way Liverpool's midfield operated.
Both teams started with three men in midfield – Casemiro, Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo for United, and Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai for Liverpool. However, while Slot’s players looked like cogs in a well-oiled machine, United’s red shirts looked like packets of crisps waving aimlessly in the wind.
Gravenberch was excellent, winning 100% of his tackles and winning the ball back six times. He was also allowed to move forward and when he did, Mac Allister got in front of the four defenders. As Mac Allister moved forward, Gravenberch retreated.
On too many occasions, Casemiro was caught out in the opposition half and looked around to see Mainoo and Fernandes had followed him into attack. Virgil van Dijk's pass after six minutes wiped out most of United's midfield, who were lucky to have Alexander-Arnold's goal ruled out for offside.
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Nicolò: “Manchester United's problems are much deeper than Casemiro's”
Steve Nicol says Casemiro cannot take all the blame for Manchester United's 3-0 defeat to Liverpool.
On another day, Mainoo might have been sent off before half-time after twice breaking into the box as he desperately tried to fill the gaping holes in the middle of the pitch.
At one point Sir Jim Ratcliffe was left clutching his head, and the concern for the new United co-owner is that Slot has a midfield that is in top form after just three games, while the structural problems in Ten Hag's team have been evident for more than 18 months. Oh, and Slot didn't even get the midfielder he wanted in the summer because Martin Zubimendi decided to stay at Real Sociedad. –Dawson
United's new regime looks bleak, Liverpool spiral out of control
United have undergone major changes in recent months, with Ratcliffe's INEOS group taking over football operations from the Glazer family, the club's majority owners. Ratcliffe has hired Omar Berrada as chief executive, Dan Ashworth as director of football and Jason Wilcox as technical director, and all four men were in the directors' box when Liverpool tore United apart.
Berrada has arrived from Manchester City with a reputation for wanting quick results and showing clear signs of progress, while Ashworth and Wilcox have spent their first summer busy in the transfer market, signing and selling several players. However, United played so poorly against Liverpool that it will be questionable how long it will take for things to improve.
Ten Hag will not be in any danger for now, but if United continue to struggle come the October international break, the availability of managers such as Gareth Southgate and Thomas Tuchel will give the new bosses options if they decide to make a change. –Ogden
Liverpool's bold 4-2-4 is successful, but will it work against the best?
Slot opted for a bold 4-2-4 formation, with Gravenberch and Mac Allister covering the central third of the pitch for Liverpool. Both players impressed and dominated their area of the pitch, but their opponents were disorganised in midfield. At times, Liverpool had the midfield to themselves.
The formation worked against United, but Slot is unlikely to be able, or want, to implement the same game plan against opponents such as Manchester City or Arsenal. Slot was rewarded for his boldness against United, but City and Arsenal will offer a much greater threat in all areas of the pitch, so expect a more solid Liverpool midfield in those games. –Ogden
