Manchester United HUMILIATED by rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford as Jurgen Klopp’s side score FIVE

It had to happen eventually, but few imagined quite like this. There was always going to be a level of inadequacy that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United could not overcome, a position they could not retrieve. 

It was just that few expected it would manifest itself so spectacularly as a four-goal half-time deficit at home to their bitterest rivals, ultimately becoming a five-goal defeat, their worst at Old Trafford since February 12, 1955, against Manchester City.

Liverpool were brilliant, the numbers confirm that. Yet they are brilliant most weeks, and against far weaker players than Manchester United possess, too. They are not usually leading by four at half-time, though. Norwich were not even four down to Chelsea at the interval on Saturday. So while Liverpool are in rare form, it takes two to tango and Manchester United were Liverpool’s flat-footed partners.  

Mohammed Salah celebrates after scoring Liverpool’s fifth goal of the game against Manchester United on Sunday

Salah prodded the ball past Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea to complete his hat-trick shortly after half-time 

The Egyptian was in fine form as Liverpool humiliated their bitter rivals at Old Trafford in the Premier League showdown 

Cristiano Ronaldo and co looked dejected as United suffered one of their worst defeats on Sunday afternoon  

Their chaotic back line, their soft-as-marshmallow midfield, their indiscipline, their sluggishness, were as much of part of this result as Liverpool’s speed, invention and devastating finishing. These clubs pose as equals but this was a mismatch. Here was a day of reckoning from which Solskjaer may never recover. Where is his credibility with the fans, with his players, with the board, after this? Ole’s at the wheel. Yes, but so was the quartermaster of the Titanic. 

Talking of which, a little history. This equalled Liverpool’s biggest victory over a club called Manchester United, equalling a 5-0 defeat on September 19, 1925. Liverpool did beat Newton Heath – who became Manchester United – 7-1 on October 12, 1895 in Division Two, so argue among yourselves whether that counts.

Quite simply, Liverpool – and Mo Salah in particular – took Manchester United apart. Not just with their football, but their creative wit, their game management, the intelligence of their play, their desire. One can look at the team assembled by Solskjaer and admire a group of individuals, but what is he doing to improve any of them? Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw are better defenders with England. 

Maguire is no better than he was at Leicester, if not worse. He was better at Hull. He is going backwards with this club. Who is going forwards? The younger ones? Think of Mason Greenwood or Marcus Rashford under Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp. This should be a tipping point. 

Thomas Tuchel improved Chelsea defensively in his very first game. What is happening here? And this is the club Declan Rice should join to grow as a footballer? Seriously?

As for Paul Pogba, he was left out of the starting line-up – which should be a clue, given the importance of this fixture – brought on at half-time and sent off 14 minutes later for a dreadful challenge on Naby Keita. The only surprise is Anthony Taylor needed the help of VAR Stuart Atwell to elevate his initial yellow to a straight red. 

It was a shocker. We can argue Pogba was frustrated at not being picked and over-compensated, but the lack of discipline was shocking. It was almost a gesture of contempt towards his manager. Pogba is tanking under Solskjaer, too.

Naby Keita opened the scoring with a cool finish after being played clean through on goal in the fifth minute of the game 

Keita celebrates with Salah after the pair linked up to break the deadlock just five minutes into the Premier League clash

Diogo Jota doubled the lead just eight minutes later from close range after a cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold 

Jota celebrates with his Liverpool team-mates after putting Liverpool in firm control of the game after just 13 minutes 

The statistics are damning this United regime. His team are bottom of the table for errors leading to shots on goal, bottom of the table for tackles made and in the relegation zone for Premier League clean sheets. Manchester United have some of the lowest running numbers, too, and had little urgency closing Liverpool down, which is a bottom line essential. 

Before kick-off, it was possible to imagine this might be an old-fashioned battle. Liverpool are the better team, but Manchester United always raise their game for this match; just as Liverpool did in the days when they were underdogs. Traditionally, these encounters render the form book worthless, confound expectations. That illusion was quickly dispelled.

Bruno Fernandes had a good chance after four minutes that he should have taken, but then Liverpool scored and from that point Manchester United were in retreat. Not an orderly retreat, either. There were few straight lines, little that was organised. 

United looked desperate, panicked, under-coached. They are struggling to retain a sliver of credibility as title contenders. This is their first game of the season against opponents who could be classed among the elite of Europe, and they were annihilated. 

Remember when it was going to be a four-way race? Already Manchester United appear to be in a fight to finish top four. They are surrendering close to a point per game to Chelsea.

Back to the action and the first time Liverpool threatened, they scored. Just five minutes were gone. Liverpool passed through Manchester United like a training exercise. 

Roberto Firmino picked out Salah and United’s centre-halves were drawn out of position leaving Shaw overwhelmed. The ball fell to Keita and he finished smartly past David De Gea. There was already a sense of foreboding around Old Trafford. It just looked too easy.

Salah put the visitors 3-0 after 38 minutes with cute finish at the near post as Liverpool continued to run rampant 

Salah is congratulated by Virgil van Dijk after pouring more misery on United in the first half of the Premier League game

Salah then scored his second goal of the game just before half-time to put any hopes of a United comeback to bed 

And it was. In the 13th minute, Maguire and Shaw went for the same ball and both failed to get it, leaving Keita to pass out to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who crossed for Diogo Jota to slide in and convert. Genk had scored a similar goal here on Wednesday; and Liverpool had scored three like it the weekend before against Watford. Make the connections and should United have been caught out like that?

So, is Salah the best player in the world? Obviously, we see more of him than we do the other candidates such as Robert Lewandowski. We’re a little biased. But if there is anyone out their better, he must be some player. 

On Sunday, Salah scored three having made the first, too. What a statement it was. From the whole of Liverpool, obviously, but also by the man that delivers their cutting edge. United had no answer to Salah’s pace, his tireless running, his smart reading of the game. His finishes were perfect, his work-rate outstanding. 

After his third – Liverpool’s fifth – went in the cameras caught an exasperated Sir Alex Ferguson puffing out his cheeks before cutting to Sir Kenny Dalglish, huge grin and howling with laughter. For United fans at home it was a segue as painful as the 90 minutes.

Just before Salah started scoring, Rashford played an incredibly sloppy back pass which put him away, only for De Gea to save, but resistance to his powers could not last forever – or even to half-time, as it transpired. Liverpool’s next three goals were scored by Salah across the space of 12 minutes – from the 38th to the 50th.

Ronaldo cut a dejected figure as the five time Ballon d’Or winner suffered one of the worst defeat of his career 

For his first, Salah had a shot blocked but the ball was recycled to him by the excellent Keita and he finished at the near post, the position that Liverpool love to attack so much. 

Someone at United really should have noticed by now. The second came in the fourth minute of first-half injury time, another move that showed United putting little pressure on the ball, before Jota found Salah, who shot with precision.

The hat-trick came from a quite superb pass by Jordan Henderson that set Salah free and, in this purple patch, he was never going to miss. In between goals four and five, Cristiano Ronaldo was frustrated by an Alisson save then took his anger out on Liverpool substitute Curtis Jones, on for James Milner after 26 minutes. 

Taylor showed a yellow but it could have been more. Pogba was not so lucky. Nor might Solskjaer be, after this. He remains at the wheel. Then again, the country needs HGV drivers. 

Scroll down to see how it all unfolded with Sportsmail’s live runner