National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Alimi Micheal, KWARA|
Liverpool delivered a resounding 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, with Arne Slot marking his first major test as Liverpool manager with a statement win.
The Reds dominated the encounter, thanks to two goals from Luis Diaz and a strike from Mohamed Salah on Sunday.
Slot, who succeeded Jurgen Klopp, has made a perfect start to his tenure at Anfield, maintaining a 100% record in his first three Premier League games.
This win places Liverpool alongside Manchester City at the top of the table, showing early signs of a strong title challenge.
For Manchester United, the loss was a significant setback, leaving manager Erik ten Hag under pressure just three games into the new season.
Ten Hag, who narrowly survived an internal review last season after guiding United to their worst-ever Premier League finish in eighth place, is now facing scrutiny again.
Despite a shock FA Cup final win over Manchester City and a £200 million investment in the transfer market, the team’s frailties from last season were exposed once more by a clinical Liverpool side.
The Red Devils introduced their new £42 million signing, Manuel Ugarte, before the match, hoping the Uruguayan midfielder could provide much-needed stability in the midfield.
However, Liverpool’s decision not to delve heavily into the market for a defensive midfielder seems to have paid off, as Slot’s move to reposition Ryan Gravenberch in that role has been a masterstroke. Despite Klopp’s dominance over United during his time at Liverpool, he only managed to win two of his 11 away games at Old Trafford.
Last season, Liverpool struggled to capitalize on their control in these encounters, losing an FA Cup quarterfinal 4-3 and drawing 2-2 in the league, effectively ending their title hopes.
This time, however, Liverpool was ruthless, with the possibility of matching their record 5-0 win over United in 2021. United was given an early let-off when Trent Alexander-Arnold’s goal from Diaz’s deflected cross was ruled out for offside, as the ball had struck Salah in an offside position.
However, that reprieve was short-lived. Casemiro, who had looked promising in the opening games of the season, was at fault for both of Diaz’s goals, with his careless pass being intercepted by Gravenberch, who set up Salah for a cross that Diaz headed home.
Liverpool’s goalkeeper Alisson Becker made a crucial save to deny Noussair Mazraoui, maintaining Liverpool’s defensive record under Slot. United’s collapse continued as Casemiro lost possession to Diaz, who converted Salah’s cross for his second goal just before halftime.
Salah continued his impressive record against Manchester United, scoring his 15th goal in 16 appearances against them with a stunning finish from Dominik Szoboszlai’s pass.
The Egyptian forward could have added more to his tally but missed from close range later in the game.
Alisson was again called into action to deny Joshua Zirkzee, preserving Liverpool’s clean sheet and continuing their strong defensive form under Slot’s management.
The victory was a statement performance from Liverpool, showcasing their strength as title contenders early in the season.
