Arne Slot has announced his arrival to the Premier League in emphatic style with a 3-0 win over Manchester United in their own backyard.
If ever there was a tale of two stories, this game was it. One manager announced his arrival on the biggest stage with an emphatic win, while the other could only watch and hope that today's loss wouldn't be the final nail in his coffin.
The first came after 35 minutes when a misplaced Casemiro pass saw the first-half hero Luis Diaz, wide open for an easy header at the back post, the second came just seven minutes later when Casemiro topped off a poor half with another costly mistake that saw Diaz rocket his second into the back of the net.
"Two Casemiro mistakes, two Diaz goals" 😬
What a finish this is 👌 pic.twitter.com/lNaWEnBXUs
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 1, 2024
While Casemiro made way at the break and Manchester United showed slim glimpses of hope in the second half, there was little they could do to stop the Liverpool wave.
As the hour mark was approaching, it was Salah who nailed Ten Hag's coffin shut with Liverpool's third, and despite Liverpool failing to convert any more of their plentiful chances, cruise control was enough to send tens of thousands of Manchester fans home early.
"Two Casemiro mistakes, two Diaz goals" 😬
What a finish this is 👌 pic.twitter.com/lNaWEnBXUs
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 1, 2024
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Roy Keane: Manchester United were 'shocking'
Unsurprisingly, Roy Keane was not in cheery form after Manchester United's defeat when speaking on Sky Sports after the game. He called United' performance 'shocking' and expressed deep disappointment that United were so poor.
United, listen you can try to dress it up a little bit, but United were shocking. Really shocking.
There's been a lot of good PR for United in the last few months, about plans for the stadium, blah, blah, blah.
I'm always surprised when the game's over after fifty or sixty minutes when you're playing for Manchester United. I know you get an off day, a bad day, but when the game's over after an hour it's hard to accept.
"Absolutely NOT."
Roy Keane says Manchester United were shocking against Liverpool 👎 pic.twitter.com/w52CmOWnPr— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 1, 2024
It was surreal to see Manchester United fans heading home just after halftime from a home match against Liverpool.
🎶 Show them the way to go home 👋
(@eblfc1)
pic.twitter.com/OZBhRyg6Lq— The Anfield Wrap (@TheAnfieldWrap) September 1, 2024
It is that sense of deja vu that seems most depressing for Manchester United supporters. The good will acquired from the FA Cup win and the new ownership has been washed away.
The result sees Liverpool move into second place with three wins from three, while Manchester United's second loss of the opening three games means they drop to 14th in the standings.
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