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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp applauds after the Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool. Picture date: Sunday March 5, 2023.

Breaking down Liverpool’s ridiculous dominance over Man Utd in the Klopp era

Planet Football β€’

Liverpool versus Manchester United is in many people’s eyes still the biggest game in English football. And the colossal clash between the country’s two most successful football clubs has provided us with some memorable meetings in the Jurgen Klopp era.

Manchester United enjoyed decades of dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson, but the balance of power has shifted somewhat since Klopp arrived in Merseyside back in 2015.

Here’s a full breakdown of quite how dominant Liverpool have been in this fixture in recent years.

Derby dominance

Klopp has taken charge of 18 matches against Manchester United. Liverpool have won seven, drawn seven and lost just four of those clashes against their historic rivals.

More recently they have won four of their last five meetings with the Red Devils and lost just one of the last 10 Premier League clashes.

In Klopp’s six full seasons in charge, Liverpool have finished ahead of United in four of them. They’ve also taken over 50 more points in the Premier League since he was first appointed as manager in October 2015.

Over the last two seasons, Liverpool have scored 17 goals in four outings against United. That’s a stark contrast to the seven seasons from 2001 to 2008, whereby Liverpool mustered just seven goals in 14 league meetings.

Historic results

Liverpool’s 7-0 victory over United on Sunday was literally the biggest win in the entire history of the fixture. The margin of victory beats a record that stood for over a century, when Liverpool beat Newton Heath (as United were then known) via a 7-1 scoreline in the second tier all the way back in 1895.

It’s not the first time that Klopp’s Liverpool have made history against Manchester United.

Last season, Liverpool registered a record aggregate scoreline with their 5-0 win at Old Trafford and 4-0 win at Anfield. That’s the worst aggregate league-double scoreline that United have suffered in the Premier League era.

The Reds’ 5-0 victory at Old Trafford in October 2021 was Manchester United’s joint-biggest home loss in Premier League history, along with Manchester United’s 1-6 in October 2011 and Tottenham’s 1-6 in October 2020. It was also Liverpool’s biggest-ever win away to United.

Fortress Anfield

Klopp has only tasted defeat once at home to Manchester United – a 1-0 loss at Anfield, courtesy of Wayne Rooney, shortly after he first took charge back in January 2016.

Since then, Liverpool are unbeaten in eight home meetings against Manchester United. In that time, they’ve kept seven clean sheets and conceded once.

Over the last five meetings at Anfield, the aggregate score reads 16-1.

With Klopp at the helm, Liverpool’s total home record against United reads: Played nine. Won five. Drawn three. Lost one. Scored 18. Conceded two.

Mohamed Salah reigns supreme

Liverpool’s Egyptian King scored five goals in Liverpool’s aggregate 9-0 victory over United last season – the most any player, from any club, has scored against them in a single Premier League campaign.Β He was also only the second player (after Mesut Ozil) to both score and assist home and away against United in the same season.

In Liverpool’s 5-0 win at Old Trafford, he became the first player to score a hat-trick away to United since the legendary Ronaldo back in 2003. He’s also the only player to have notched a Premier League hat-trick as an opposition player at Old Trafford.

Salah evidently loves these matches. He’s scored in each of his last six appearances against United, notching 11 goals over the course of that run. His total tally of 12 goals (from 12 appearances) makes him the top-scoring player in the history of the fixture. He’s also assisted a further four goals.

Breaking Gary Neville’s brain

New octaves in Gary Neville’s voice tell us more about Liverpool’s recent dominance in this fixture than the cold hard data ever could.

β€œThey played alright in the second half, they won the game no problem,” Neville responded to Graeme Souness, who accused him of not giving Liverpool enough credit for their 7-0 mauling.

“I’ve said congratulations, well done. Congratulations. My point is, when you get beat seven nil, it becomes about how bad the other team are. Manchester United in that second half – Luke Shaw, Varane, Martinez, Dalot, that midfield, they were an absolute shambles.”

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