Manchester United’s humiliations at the hands of their biggest rivals were supposed to have been confined to last season. But on an afternoon when Liverpool found something that has felt lost at times, sparking what they believe can be a successful push for a top-four finish, Erik ten Hag and his players were reacquainted with their worst nightmares.
This was even worse than the horrors of the previous campaign, mainly because they had made the short journey to Liverpool on a high, having lost only once in 22 matches. The 5-0 and 4-0 drubbings of last season had come when the team were on their knees, almost expecting something terrible.
