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Manchester United beat Liverpool 4-0 in a pre-season friendly in Bangkok, Thailand. Goals from Jadon Sancho, Fred, Anthony Martial and Facundo Pellistri helped the Red Devils to a huge win.
Erik ten Hag's side were utterly dominant at the start of the game and raced to a 3-0 lead inside just 33 minutes. Liverpool, who started many young and inexperienced players, made some changes, but failed to find a breakthrough.
The second-half saw Jurgen Klopp tweak his side even more, throwing in the experienced cavalry of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk etc., yet it was United who got the last laugh.
Another impeccable counter-attack saw Pellistri fire home their fourth of the night with less than 15 minutes remaining on the clock, while Salah missed an effort from close range.
No one would've predicted this scoreline, but it's still only a friendly game. Manchester United will, however, be keen to build on this and generate further momentum before the start of the 2022-23 season.
Here are some of the hits and flops from the game:
Hit: Jadon Sancho (Manchester United)
For a player that struggled to live up to his lofty price tag last season, this was a promising game as Sancho was superb in the opening half.
He triggered the onslaught by scoring Manchester United's first goal of the night and was a major threat to Liverpool's defense with his pace and directness.
The 22-year-old linked up superbly with Bruno Fernandes and always looked to pounce on any openings. He nearly bagged an assist too, but Marcus Rashford didn't finish his chance.
He was subbed off at half-time, which clearly had an impact on his team's performance in the second period, as the Red Devils seemed relatively off the pace and lacked a cutting edge.
Fans will only hope that Sancho is able to produce this kind of form in the upcoming season and on a consistent basis too.
Flop: Nat Phillips (Liverpool)
Liverpool were absolutely decimated in defense tonight, and their biggest weakness early on was Nat Phillips.
The 25-year-old was a disaster at the back and was directly responsible for their second goal too, as his poor clearance allowed Fred to chip home a beautiful goal.
Minutes earlier, another blunder from him had allowed Sancho to latch on to a loose ball and create a chance for Rashford, whose effort was blocked.
Phillips was weak in possession and couldn't cope with the pace that Manchester United's forwards played on the night, and Klopp pulled him out of his misery after just 30 minutes.
Hit: Anthony Martial (Manchester United)
Another player who could see a renaissance next season is Anthony Martial, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Sevilla. The French forward put up a good performance in his first game back.
Martial was electric, running rings around Liverpool's defense with his doggedness and storming pace, and capping it off with a sublime goal too.
He snatched the ball from Rhys Williams and turned around to run at the goal at full pelt before firing it into the roof of the net beyond the hapless Alisson.
Martial could've added a second goal to his tally but took a touch too many, allowing Joel Matip to clear the danger, but it didn't take anything off his solid display.
The 26-year-old, who won the man of the match award on the night, has made a good first impression on their new manager and could be set for regular gametime next season if he's able to build on this.
Flop: Alisson (Liverpool)
Poor Alisson. He could've used a solid defense in front of him as he normally has in competitive games, but an inexperienced backline left him woefully exposed to Manchester United's counters.
Even then, the Brazilian ace couldn't get his hands on anything on the night despite his best efforts, conceding thrice in just the opening 33 minutes of the clash. Fortunately for him, it was just a friendly game, so he could be spared the humiliation.
Hit: Eric Bailly (Manchester United)
Eric Bailly came on in the second half of the game in place of Raphael Varane and turned in a good performance, one that could potentially reignite his Manchester United career.
The Ivorian read the game brilliantly and was quick off his feet, closing down spaces whenever danger loomed.
He dealt well with Liverpool forwards Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez and even played a key role in their fourth goal as Bailly cut off Ibrahima Konate's through-ball and put United through on the counter.
The 28-year-old also faces an uncertain future with the Old Trafford outfit, given his terrible injury record and the possible arrival of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax. Even if he leaves, Bailly won't be short of suitors given his performance tonight.
