Liverpool vs Manchester United LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Darwin, Gakpo and Salah goals

A game that defied both belief and recent form and history, yet in some ways conformed to the larger realities of teams.

As well as that sensational 7-0 result, the bare facts are that Liverpool FC have clinched yet another great home win – and that’s saying something – as Manchester United once again failed to win a major away game.

There was, of course, so much more to it as both went to a level that was hard to imagine. It really was a result that couldn’t even be imagined and that was sometimes difficult to understand, let alone count.

The Anfield crowd still demanded more, telling the team they wanted eight.

“I have no explanation. We had the game pretty much under control in the first half. Second half at the beginning we gave away two goals. There was no more team. We didn’t stick to the plan. There were 11 people.

“I don’t know, it’s really bad. I have given my opinion [to the players]. It was unprofessional. You always have to stick together as a team. We didn’t do that. There was no discipline. You have a lot of setbacks, but you have to stick together and do your job.

“We made the wrong decisions. To me that is unprofessional. I’m really disappointed and angry. We let our fans down. As a squad, as a team, you can’t allow that. You have to stick together and support each other and fight for each other. You have to defend yourself. We didn’t do that and for me it’s really unprofessional.

“We’ve made great strides, but you see what happens when you don’t meet standards. What I said in the dressing room is that this is unacceptable. But it’s also just a game. We will fight back. This team is strong enough and we will reset and fight back.”

“129 goals, that’s crazy. What an incredible number. He’s a special player. We appreciate him now but in the future people will look back and be wow, we experienced something really special.

“These were all top performances today. That’s very important for us – are there 13 more games to come? Lots of points to get. Tonight was perfect.”

“No words. Spectacular football match. Excellent. We played top football against the team in form.

“In the second half, the start was pretty good and the end was pretty good. This is football, it can happen.

“That was the push we wanted. It puts us in the right direction. Everyone needs to know we’re still here. That hasn’t been the case for a while but tonight was a decent show of what we can be and what we need to be from now on.”

The Red Devils have enjoyed a resurgence this season under Erik ten Hag and recently won the Carabao Cup but suffered their biggest league defeat to date at Anfield on Sunday against their closest rivals.

Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez all scored two goals, with Roberto Firmino adding another from the bench – six of those goals came in the second half as United imploded and the Reds took full advantage.

Speaking on Sky Sports during the game, Gary Neville singled out Bruno Fernandes in particular for an irritable and ineffective performance, with the Portuguese player being shown more than once walking without making an effort to regain ball than Liverpool players before also ran away from him He appeared to be gesturing to the United bench that he wanted to be substituted.

“It’s very frustrating, disappointing, sad because it’s a really bad result. We came here before the game with a different attitude.

“The first half was really good from us, we had a lot of chances. We controlled most of the first half I think, they didn’t create that much.

“[In the second half] We tried to go forward and score goals and we lost our balance a bit. We wasted too much space against this team. We must avoid that.

“The games come close and fast. We’ve had setbacks in the past and we need to bounce back quickly. That’s what Manchester United is about, we can go down but we have to get back up.”

Ruud van Nistelrooy was hardly an impartial observer. His advice was perhaps tinged with self-interest, both as the current PSV Eindhoven manager and a former Manchester United player, but he told Cody Gakpo to wait and then go to Old Trafford. It was, he said mischievously later, Gakpo’s dream move. Gakpo wasn’t listening; or at least not to Van Nistelrooy. Virgil van Dijk helped him join Liverpool instead.

And so a first meeting with United, with the suitors who had risen without him, who had already won a trophy with a Dutchman they recruited for their attack in January and promised two more, had the potential to be an awkward, chastising one to become matter. And it was: only for United.

“I think we played a decent first half. A mistake in the organization just before half-time. In the second half it just wasn’t us. It wasn’t our standard. We didn’t play as a team. It was unprofessional. Yes [I am angry]. Definitive.

“I’m surprised because I’ve seen that this team has been resilient over the last few weeks and months and has a winning mentality. In the second half we didn’t have a winning mentality at all. We did not stick to the plan and did not fulfill our tasks.

“We didn’t trace and it was really unprofessional. We have seen in the past that we can recover. To Brentford, to Manchester City. This is definitely a major setback and unacceptable. I’m really disappointed and angry about it.

“It’s a reality check. We have to take that seriously.”

“It’s something very special to win a game like that. We have to stay humble and win our games. Hopefully it gives us a big boost.

“It’s something very special. I can not lie. To get it today [breaking Robbie Fowler’s record] against Manchester United is incredible.”

“It’s a fantastic day for everyone. The level of performance, each player was of the highest quality. You could see the energy levels were back. We recently showed that we are on our way back.

“It’s a big win but we have to focus on the next game. I am very happy for Mo [Salah]. He dedicates his life to football. He’s the first in and the first out.”