Liverpool Archives

Liverpool rewrite record books in 7-0 thrashing of Man Utd

LIVERPOOL: Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah all scored twice as Liverpool shrugged off a season of frustration to thrash Manchester United 7-0 at Anfield on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp’s men set a new record margin of victory in the clash between English football’s two most successful clubs.

“It was one of the best performances for a long, long time. Everybody saw what the boys can be,” said Klopp.

“The second half couldn’t start better. From that moment on we were flying and it was really difficult to play against us.”

Just a second defeat in 23 games in all competitions realistically ends United’s hopes of a first league title in a decade as they remain 14 points adrift of leaders Arsenal in third.

But there could even more lasting damage from a record-equalling defeat for the club in a competitive game and heaviest since 1931.

“The result is quite obvious. It is unprofessional,” said United manager Erik ten Hag.

“There are many things which make me angry. To concede so easy the goals is definitely one.”

Liverpool close to within three points of fourth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand on Spurs.

Klopp’s side won the two league meetings between the teams by an aggregate score of 9-0 last season, but the tables had seemingly turned this season.

A 2-1 win over the Reds in August gave Erik ten Hag his first win as United boss and his team started the day 10 points clear of Liverpool.

Liverpool have looked a shadow of the side that came close to an unprecedented quadruple of trophies last season.

But either side of a 5-2 humiliation on home soil by Real Madrid, they have got back in the race for a place in the Champions League next season thanks to a run of 13 points from a possible 15 in the Premier League.

“Everybody has to feel us. Everybody has to know we are still around,” added Klopp. “That’s what we have to be from now on”

– United crumble –

Ten Hag told his players to embrace the hostile environment of Anfield, where United have not won since 2016.

But they crumbled after Gakpo opened the floodgates two minutes before half-time.

Andy Robertson sliced open the United defence to play in the Dutch international, who cut inside and fired low into the far corner.

Ten Hag’s men were then blown away in the second period as Liverpool’s new-look front three finally clicked.

Nunez punished sloppy United defending as the Uruguayan stooped to head in Harvey Elliott’s cross.

Moments later, Gakpo scored his second with a delightful dink over David de Gea at the end of a lightning Liverpool counter-attack.

It could have been even worse for United as Robertson and Ibrahima Konate saw efforts fly inches wide.

Salah got the goal his performance deserved as he crashed in Nunez’s through ball off the underside of the bar.

Nunez then headed in his second as he was left completely unmarked from Jordan Henderson’s cross.

Salah became Liverpool’s outright all-time Premier League goalscorer with 129 with a simple tap in after more shambolic United defending.

“It’s very special, I can’t lie,” said Salah. “This record was in my mind since I came here. After my first season I was always chasing the record.”

Roberto Firmino will move on at the end of the season it was revealed this week.

But the Brazilian came off the bench to have the final say as he slotted a remarkable seventh two minutes from time.

READ: Djokovic withdraws from Indian Well Masters: organisers

Saudi would back bids for Man Utd, Liverpool: sports minister

LONDON: Saudi Arabia would back private bids for Manchester United or Liverpool, its sports minister said, adding that the conservative kingdom was keen to host the World Cup.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal even said the Gulf state could be a new home for clubless superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Prince Abdulaziz said oil-wealthy Saudi Arabia, which has been on a buying spree of sports assets, would “definitely support” bids for the English Premier League giants, whose owners are canvassing investors.

“From the private sector, I can’t speak on their behalf, but there is a lot of interest and appetite and there’s a lot of passion about football,” he told the BBC.

“We will definitely support it if any private sector comes in, because we know that’s going to reflect positively on sports within the kingdom,” Prince Abdulaziz added.

“But if there’s an investor willing to do so and the numbers add up, why not?”

Saudi Arabia, much criticised by activists for its human rights record, last year snapped up England’s perennial under-achievers Newcastle, who are now third in the Premier League.

Manchester United’s American owners stunned fans this week by revealing they would consider selling the club — just hours after announcing the departure of Ronaldo, 37.

Liverpool’s owners, also American, have said they are open to new shareholders but stopped short of confirming reports the club is up for sale.

After Ronaldo told British TV that he had rejected a huge offer to join a Saudi club, Prince Abdulaziz said: “Anything is possible, I would love to see Ronaldo play in the Saudi league.

“It would benefit the league, the sports eco-system in Saudi and it will inspire the youth for the future. He’s a role model to a lot of kids and has a big fanbase in Saudi.”

Lionel Messi, Ronaldo’s great rival on the global stage, is already the recipient of Saudi money as a tourism ambassador for the country, which is courting foreign visitors and businesses.

Prince Abdulaziz also said Saudi Arabia’s chances of bidding for the World Cup would increase if it wins hosting rights for the 2026 and 2027 women’s and men’s Asian Cups.

Saudi Arabia is in talks with Egypt and Greece about a continent-crossing bid for the 2030 World Cup, an Egyptian official said in September.

“Any country in the world would love to host the World Cup,” the prince said.

“We need to uplift some of our venues,” he added. “We have a lot of stadiums that meet the requirement that we need, but hosting such an event is not just about the stadiums, it’s about the infrastructure, the people, about preparing everyone (for) such an event.”

READ: Pakistan Test squad starts training ahead of England series

Liverpool handed Real Madrid rematch in UCL last 16, PSG draw Bayern

PARIS: Liverpool will have the chance to avenge last season’s Champions League final defeat at the hands of Real Madrid after Jurgen Klopp’s side were drawn on Monday to face the holders again in the last 16.

Meanwhile, the other standout tie saw Paris Saint-Germain drawn to play Bayern Munich in a repeat of the 2020 final which was won by the German club.

Liverpool won five of their six group games but missed out on top spot to Napoli after losing 4-1 when the sides met in Italy.

The Anfield club also lost the 2018 Champions League final to Real, who won their group ahead of RB Leipzig.

“They are two historic teams and the tie is going to be electric, fascinating for the fans,” said Emilio Butragueno, a great former Real player who is now the director of institutional relations for the 14-time European champions.

Current domestic form suggests Real should be favourites, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side unbeaten in La Liga while Liverpool are eighth in the Premier League despite winning away to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

However, both clubs will lose key players to the World Cup and Butragueno acknowledged much can change in the three months before the Champions League returns.

“The World Cup is going to condition the whole season. We will see how the players are when they return,” he said.

PSG only missed out on topping their group because Benfica scored more away goals across all matches after the sides remarkably finished level on points, goal difference, goals scored and head to head.

That left the Qatar-owned club exposed to a tough draw, a year on from their painful exit in the first knockout round at the hands of Real.

In terms of form they could not have got tougher than Bayern, who were the only side to win all six group matches, despite being in a section with Barcelona and Inter Milan.

The 2020 final was played behind closed doors in Lisbon at the height of the pandemic, with Bayern triumphing 1-0. PSG gained revenge the following season by beating the Bavarians in the quarter-finals.

Like PSG, Manchester City have never won the trophy but are also one of the leading contenders to do so this season.

Pep Guardiola’s side will be expected to dispose of Leipzig, who they faced in the group stage a year ago and beat 6-3 at home before a 2-1 defeat in Germany, by which time they had already secured first place in the section.

Chelsea, who defeated City in the 2021 Champions League final, also drew German opposition in the shape of Borussia Dortmund, with the clubs set to meet for the very first time in a competitive game in the first leg at the Signal Iduna Park.

After topping their group thanks to a last-gasp winner away to Marseille last week, Tottenham Hotspur were given a tough draw against Italian champions AC Milan.

They have met at this stage of the competition before, with Spurs winning 1-0 on aggregate in 2010/11 thanks to a solitary goal at San Siro by Peter Crouch.

Inter will play Porto and last season’s Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt take on Napoli, while Benfica’s reward for winning their group was a tie against tournament outsiders Club Brugge of Belgium.

The first legs of all last-16 ties will be played in February with the return matches in March.

The final of this season’s Champions League will be held in Istanbul on June 10 next year.

The Turkish city was supposed to host the final in 2020 and again 2021, only for the game to be moved on each occasion to Portugal due to the pandemic.

READ: Pakistan sink Egypt 4-1 to secure first win in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

UEFA apologizes football fans over disarray on UCL final

LAUSANNE: UEFA apologized for the first time over the distressful and chaotic events outside the Stade de France stadium on the day of the Champions League Final- a much-celebrated European football event of the year- between Real Madrid and Liverpool.

The European Football’s governing body in a statement issued on Friday offered an apology for the ‘frightening’ and ‘distressing’ events on the UCL final as thousands of spectators were denied entry into the stadium and witnessed the use of tear gas by the police.

“UEFA wishes to sincerely apologise to all spectators who had to experience or witness frightening and distressing events in the build-up to the UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France on 28 May 2022 in Paris,” said UEFA in its published statement.

UEFA also published the terms of reference of the commission which it had announced immediately after the event for the independent review of the incident.

“UEFA commissioned an Independent Review to identify shortcomings and responsibilities of all entities involved in the organisation of the final, and has today published the Terms of Reference for this review.” further added in its statement.

The independent review announced by the UEFA will be led by Dr. Tiago Brandao Rodrigues from Portugal to determine what happened leading up to the final and what lessons should be learned to guarantee the acts and events of that day are not repeated.

The review will go through the planning, ticketing, and security of the final while also looking at fan meeting points.

It will engage with UEFA, fan groups, including the Liverpool and Real Madrid, the French Football Federation (FFF), the police, the stadium operator, and other public authorities.

“Further information on how relevant parties can submit their testimonies (via a dedicated email address or an online questionnaire) will be communicated shortly,” added UEFA in its statement.

The body also confirmed that the review would start immediately and would be concluded within the shortest possible time frame.

Once completed, the Report will be published on UEFA’s website.

It is pertinent to mention here that Real Madrid has defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the Champion League final on May 29.

READ: Women’s Tests ‘not part of future landscape’ ICC chairperson Barclay

Liverpool win League Cup after Kepa’s shoot-out miss

LONDON: Liverpool won the League Cup final in dramatic fashion as Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga missed the decisive penalty to give the Reds an 11-10 shoot-out victory after a pulsating 0-0 draw, here at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side clinched their first domestic knockout prize since the 2012 League Cup when Kepa blazed his spot-kick high over the bar.

It was the only miss in the nerve-jangling shoot-out, which saw Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher score his penalty just before Kepa failed.

Ironically, Kepa was sent on at the end of extra time to replace Edouard Mendy given his reputation as a penalty-saving specialist, but the Spaniard was unable to repel any of Liverpool’s kicks.

Kepa had already endured penalty misery in the 2019 League Cup final when he petulantly refused to be substituted before a shoot-out defeat against Manchester City.

Liverpool saw Joel Matip’s second-half goal controversially disallowed for a marginal offside against Virgil van Dijk, while Chelsea had three goals ruled out for offside later in the match.

READ: Shaun Tait to miss Rawalpindi Test due to his father’s funeral