Liverpool brought Manchester United crashing down to earth in a stunning 7-0 rout at Anfield on Sunday. Only a week after winning the League Cup, United experienced their heaviest defeat in the Premier League and the club’s joint worst loss in all competitions. Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah all struck twice and Roberto Firmino scored the other, with six of the goals coming in an explosive second-half performance. It also delivered a major blow to Erik ten Hag’s four-pronged pursuit of trophies, with a league title challenge now looking increasingly unlikely. Liverpool, meanwhile, took advantage of losses for top-four rivals Newcastle and Tottenham on Saturday to strengthen their bid to qualify for the Champions League. Salah became the Merseyside club’s all-time leading Premier League scorer with 129 goals. Liverpool may have endured a frustrating campaign so far as Jurgen Klopp’s side have struggled for consistency but Anfield was in raptures at the sight of fierce rival United being humbled on Merseyside. To add to that, the gap to fourth-place Tottenham is down to three points, with Liverpool still having a game in hand. While Liverpool eyed the top four, United knew anything other than a win would be a huge blow to its challenge for the title after Arsenal’s late 3-2 victory against Bournemouth on Saturday. History, however, was not on the visitors’ side, having failed to win at Anfield since 2016. United lost 4-0 in the same fixture last season. For all of United’s progress under Ten Hag, this was the latest test of his team’s nerve on the big occasion, having already seen losses at Manchester City and Arsenal this season. And seven days after the Dutch manager won his first trophy at United came this humiliating setback. Gakpo put Liverpool ahead in the 43rd minute when collecting Andrew Robertson’s pass. He immediately charged into the box, sidestepped Raphael Varane and then swept a shot past David de Gea and into the bottom corner. United’s players had been guilty of wasting chances of their own before that goal with Bruno Fernandes missing the target with a far post header and Marcus Rashford firing tamely at Alisson with only the goalkeeper to beat. If United fans expected a response after the break, they were instead left stunned by Liverpool’s explosive start to the second half. Nunez extended Liverpool’s lead when heading in Harvey Elliott’s cross after Luke Shaw failed to clear the ball. It was 3-0 in the 50th after Salah’s clever footwork beat Lisandro Martinez and he then clipped a pass for Gakpo to lift over De Gea. From there it went from bad to worse for Ten Hag as his team still tried to get back into the match. Liverpool ruthlessly exploited United’s ragged defence, with Salah making it 4-0 in the 66th and Nunez scoring again in the 75th. It was 6-0 when Salah scored in the 83rd and substitute Firmino stepped off the bench to score in the 88th. Liverpool’s seven goals came from just eight shots on target. Also read: Real Madrid routs Liverpool 5-2 in CL stunner at Anfield  

While both Real Madrid and Liverpool are rightly considered Champions League royalty, there can only be one king. Down by two goals after 14 minutes at Anfield, defending champion Madrid came back to win 5-2 on Tuesday and take a commanding lead into the second leg of the round of 16 matchup. Vinicius Jr. and Karim Benzema scored two goals each to stun the hosts — Liverpool conceded four goals in a home European match for the first time — and confirm the Spanish giant will take some stopping in its defense of the trophy. “We played with personality, we produced goals. We want this Champions League again," Benzema said. “And that produced a match which was lovely to play in and for those who were watching.” If anything, this Madrid team looks more complete than the one that beat Jurgen Klopp's team in last year’s Paris final. Yet this win echoed the memorable comebacks that led to that record-extending 14th Champions League title. There was the chaotic defending that allowed Liverpool to race into a 2-0 lead as Darwin Nunez struck with a backheel in the fourth minute and Mohamed Salah doubled the advantage thanks to Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ blunder. Then came the rousing fightback, led by one of European soccer’s emerging stars in Vinicius and sealed by an aging icon in Benzema. Eder Militao was also on the scoresheet when he headed Madrid into a 3-2 lead just after halftime. The 22-year-old Vinicius became the youngest player to score two goals against Liverpool at Anfield since Johan Cruyff for Ajax in 1966 when the Dutch great was 19. Read more: Chandika Hathurasingha takes over as head coach of Bangladesh cricket The Brazil international is establishing himself as Madrid’s star player and, in the face of a typically daunting Anfield atmosphere, he rose to the occasion. “Vinicius right now in my opinion is the most decisive player in world football, the man who can make the biggest difference and if he can keep this consistency let's hope he can continue in this vein,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. Just as the visitors looked in danger of buckling under the pressure, Vinicius produced a moment of magic with his first goal in the 21st. Exchanging passes with Benzema just inside the box, there didn’t look to be any obvious danger until he flashed a low shot through a crowd of legs and into the bottom corner. Vinicius evened the score in the 36th when Alisson’s attempted kick rebounded straight off him and looped into an empty net. While the goal was a moment of good fortune, it was also a measure of the panic he sparked in Liverpool’s defense that Alisson was rushed into making the mistake. Two minutes after halftime, Madrid took the lead when Militao headed in Luka Modric’s free kick from the left. It went from bad to worse for Liverpool as the 35-year-old Benzema, the inspiration for Madrid’s triumph last year, got in on the act. His shot was deflected off Joe Gomez in the 55th to make 4-2 and he added and fifth when rounding Alisson in the 67th. It had all started so well for Liverpool, which went into the game with confidence after back-to-back wins against Everton and Newcastle in the Premier League. Those victories had sparked hope of an unlikely run in Europe and came just in time for the ultimate test of trying to halt Madrid. Nunez struck early to shock the visitors before Salah capitalized on Courtois’ mis-control to tap in from close range in the 14th. The home fans were rocking until Vinicius sparked a comeback that looks likely to propel Madrid to the quarterfinals. “I think Carlo thinks the tie is over and I think it as well in the moment," Klopp said afterward. "But the closer you get to the game, the bigger our chances become. Tonight 5-2 they are pretty good in counter attacking and we have to go there and take some risks to score three goals. We go there to try and win the game.”  

Leeds ended its four-match losing run in the English Premier League by beating Liverpool 2-1 thanks to Crysencio Summerville’s 89th-minute goal at Anfield on Saturday, easing the pressure on coach Jesse Marsch. While Leeds climbed out of the relegation zone following its first win since August, Liverpool remained marooned in mid-table and eight points from the top four in what is proving a difficult season for Jurgen Klopp’s team. The Reds fought back from conceding a bizarre opener in the fourth minute, when goalkeeper Alisson Becker slipped as he attempted to get to teammate Joe Gomez’s overhit pass across the face of the area. Leeds striker Rodrigo pounced and had the simplest task to tap into an empty net. Mohamed Salah equalized by volleying home from Andrew Robertson’s left-wing cross in the 14th. Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier produced a string of great saves before Summerville latched onto a pass inside the area from Patrick Bamford and, as Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk backed off, toe-poked a shot beyond Alisson. It was the first time Liverpool lost in front of a full crowd at Anfield since April 2017 — the team was defeated at home during the pandemic when fans weren't allowed — and the result added to Klopp's problems, with his squad struggling with injuries and possibly fatigued amid a busy schedule that includes the Champions League. Liverpool is in ninth place on 16 points from 12 games. For Leeds, it was a first away win, and Marsch looked emotional after the final whistle as he walked on to the field and congratulated his players before celebrating in front of the visiting fans. Marsch has said he retains the backing of the board, which should be impressed by the way Leeds’ players battled for their manager. American midfielder Tyler Adams returned to Leeds’ starting lineup after missing one match with an unspecified injury.

Liverpool equaled the biggest win in English Premier League history after a 9-0 hammering of promoted Bournemouth on Saturday. Jurgen Klopp’s side started the campaign slowly, with surprise draws against Fulham and Crystal Palace compounded by Monday’s loss at rival Manchester United. But Liverpool's fearsome attack looked back to its best at Anfield as the team recorded its first league win and Roberto Firmino and Luis Diaz both grabbed two goals. It's only the fifth time a team scored nine goals in the Premier League, with Man United (twice) and Leicester the only previous teams to win 9-0. Liverpool also won 9-0 over Crystal Palace in 1989, before the top-flight changed its name. “We scored some wonderful goals from all areas and didn’t stop,” Klopp said. “It was 5-0 at halftime. How often does it happen that a team take their foot off the gas? We just wanted to have a 100% satisfying experience we can use going from here.” Read:Mbappe scores in 8 seconds, ties French league record Firmino, starting in place of suspended summer signing Darwin Nunez, produced a stunning first-half display, which began with Diaz heading home his clipped cross within three minutes of the kickoff. Firmino then provided the assist for Harvey Elliott’s first league goal — a fizzing strike from distance that would have been goal of the day were it not for the Trent Alexander-Arnold stunner that followed. The Brazil forward set up that goal and celebrated one of his own soon after when turning in a deflected cross -- his first league goal at Anfield since December 2020. Virgil van Dijk powered home Liverpool’s fifth on the stroke of halftime, while the onslaught continued just after the break in the form of Chris Mepham’s own-goal. Firmino grabbed a second of the afternoon before leaving to a standing ovation. The goals did not stop there, though, as Fabio Carvalho scored his first for the club and Diaz grabbed his second.

New Liverpool signing Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score one goal and set up another Saturday as the Reds salvaged a 2-2 draw at promoted Fulham in the opening round of the Premier League. Aleksandar Mitrovic put Fulham ahead twice at Craven Cottage as Marco Silva’s team threatened a major upset, but Nunez showed just why Liverpool spent big to bring the Uruguay forward in from Benfica this offseason. Nunez first met a low cross from Mohamed Salah with a deft backheel flick into the top of the net to make it 1-1 in the 64th minute, and then helped his Egyptian teammate net the second equalizer in the 81st. Nunez tried to control a high cross into the box that time but the ball instead fell into the path of Salah, who had a simple tap-in. Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson then came close to an injury-time winner when his curling long-distance shot hit the crossbar. Read: UEFA Champions League 2022 Final: Liverpool to Face Real Madrid Mitrovic headed in the opening goal in the first half, rising above Trent Alexander-Arnold at the far post to meet a cross from the right, and then converted a penalty in the 72nd minute after he was brought down by Virgil van Dijk. Fulham also had a chance to make it 2-0 in the 57th when Neeskens Kebano hit the post with a shot from the right of the area after a quick attack. “That great chance from Kebano, if he’d scored the second goal the game would be completely different but I really enjoyed (it),” Fulham manager Marco Silva said. “Our first half was almost perfect.” The draw will still count as a setback for Liverpool, which is aiming to wrest back the title after finishing one point behind champion Manchester City last season. “The start of the game was really bad from us,” manager Jürgen Klopp said. “No direction, no positivity, no opening up, no breaking lines, nothing (of) what you have to do.” Klopp had opted against starting Nunez even though the newcomer made quite an impression in preseason and scored in the Community Shield win over City last weekend. Roberto Firmino was preferred instead, but Liverpool’s attack clicked into a higher gear once Nunez came on for the Brazilian attacker.

The 2022–2023 English Premier League season is around the corner. Before that, football fans will witness an exciting match between reigning Premier League champions Manchester City and FA Cup winners Liverpool on Saturday (July 30) at Leicester's King Power Stadium. Apart from the possibility of winning a trophy, this matchup can act as a perfect dress rehearsal for both teams for the upcoming season. The Manchester City vs Liverpool FA Community Shield 2022 match preview is discussed in this article. FA Community Shield 2022: Liverpool vs Manchester City Probable Lineups Man City’s Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte will be unavailable for selection due to an injury. Apart from him, the rest of the players are available to be included in the squad for the Community Shield match. All eyes will be on City’s blockbuster signing, Erling Haaland, and he is likely to start in Saturday’s big clash against Liverpool. The other new signings, Julian Alvarez and Kalvin Phillips, will most likely have a chance to play against Liverpool. Read UEFA Women’s EURO 2022: Previews for the semifinals Predicted Starting XI (Manchester City): GK: Ederson Moraes; Defenders: Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Joao Cancelo; Midfielders: Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne; Forwards: Riyad Mahrez, Jack Grealish, Erling Haaland Liverpool, on the other hand, will miss some of their key players for the Community Shield fixture against Man City. Goalkeeper Alisson has a slim chance to play the game, while Diogo Jota, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Calvin Ramsey are all likely to miss the fixture due to injury issues. Liverpool’s new summer signing, Darwin Nunez, will likely start the match. Predicted Starting XI (Liverpool): GK: Adrian; Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip, Andrew Robertson; Midfielders: Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita; Forwards: Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez. Read Barcelona vs Real Madrid 2022: Pre-season el clasico match preview Match Prediction: Manchester City vs Liverpool FA Community Shield 2022 It’s well-known that Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola and Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp have completely different philosophies. Therefore, there is no similarity in their tactics. Guardiola prefers tiki-taka possession-based football, while Klopp demands high-intense, counter-attacking heavy metal football. 4-1-4-1 is very effective in Guardiola’s system, which can become 4-4-2 sometimes. It will be interesting to see how Pep uses Erling Haaland in his system. He is a tall, lethal striker who can provide a lot of goals for the Blues. However, Haaland may have to adapt to Guardiola’s passing system as quickly as possible. Julian Alvarez, another new arrival at Manchester City, may be a better fit for Pep's philosophy. Man City will have the upper hand to beat Liverpool in the match If the team can execute their plan properly. Read Cristiano Ronaldo's Summer Football Transfer 2022: 5 potential destinations On the other hand, Klopp prefers 4-3-3 and uses his two wings for counter-press. In the last few seasons, one of Klopp’s main weapons was Sadio Mane, but he left the club this summer for Bayern Munich. Liverpool bought Darwin Nunez from Benfica to replace Mane in the pressing role. Will he be able to replicate what Mane did during his time at Liverpool? The Manchester City vs Liverpool FA Community Shield 2022 match would give an idea of how good Nunez is. Liverpool’s wings will play a big part in the match to break through Man City’s defense. Besides, midfielders have to play a major role in taking control of the midfield. Overall, Liverpool have won 15 Community Shields, while Manchester City have won 6. Who will win the 2022 FA Community Shield trophy? The match will kickoff on Saturday at 10 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). Read Summer Football Transfer Window 2022: 13 most significant moves so far Prediction:  Manchester City 3 – 2 Liverpool Bottom Line Manchester City and Liverpool have strengthened their respective squads in the ongoing summer football transfer window 2022 to be even more competitive for the upcoming season. Man City clinched the League title on the final matchday last season but missed out on reaching the finals in any of the other three competitions. Liverpool, on the other hand, reached three finals but only won the FA Cup. They also finished second in the Premier League. Both teams will once again be hot favourites to win the domestic league as well as the UEFA Champions League in the 2022-2023 season. Therefore, the Manchester City vs Liverpool FA Community Shield 2022 clash would give an idea of which team is in the best shape at the moment prior to the upcoming Premier League season. Read Summer footballer transfer window 2022: 5 big moves can happen before deadline

Lifting yet another Champions League trophy, Marcelo put an end to his era at Real Madrid. The veteran Brazilian left back said after the team's 1-0 win over Liverpool in the Champions League final on Saturday that he will not continue playing for the club. Also read:UEFA Champions League 2022 Final: Vinicius Jr.'s Strikes Secure Real Madrid's 14th UCL Title “It was my last match with Real Madrid,” the 34-year-old Marcelo said. “I’m not sad. I couldn’t be happier as I leave the club. I’m very thankful. It's the end of a very beautiful cycle.” It was an emotional farewell for Marcelo as Madrid celebrated the title with its fans throughout Sunday. He received huge cheers from supporters and was thrown into the air by his teammates a few times. Marcelo cried as he addressed the crowd at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium but said there was no reason to be sad. “I am very happy,” he said. “I’m saying goodbye after winning another Champions League title.” Marcelo is leaving 16 years after he joined from Brazilian club Fluminense in 2006 to take over from Brazil great Roberto Carlos. Marcelo said he plans to play another couple of years before retiring, but gave no hints about where. He said coaching is not in his plans for the future. “I don’t think coaching is for me. I think I’m bad at it, I’m not good with tactics. I have no idea how that works," Marcelo said with a smile. He said later that he wants to somehow be involved with Real Madrid. His son, Enzo, plays for the club's youth teams. Marcelo had won his 24th trophy with the club last month, when Madrid won the Spanish league for a record-extending 35th time. He won his 23rd title in the Spanish Super Cup in January, tying great Francisco “Paco” Gento, whose heyday was the 1950s and 60s. Karim Benzema won his 22nd title with Madrid on Saturday, tying former defender Sergio Ramos. Benzema and Marcelo are among the several Madrid players who tied former club player Cristiano Ronaldo with five Champions League trophies. Gento has six European titles. In his collection of honors, Marcelo has six Spanish league trophies, four Club World Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, two Copa del Reys and five Spanish Super Cups. He also has won a Confederations Cup and two Olympic medals with Brazil. Also read:Argentina vs Italy: Finalissima 2022 Match Details, Predicted Line-ups, Where to Watch Marcelo lost his spot as a starter this season and hadn’t played often under coach Carlo Ancelotti. He did not get to play in Saturday's final. Other players expected to leave Madrid this season include Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio and Francisco Isco. Luka Modric is set to have his contract renewed. Marcelo’s former Brazil teammate, Dani Alves, has the most career titles with 41, most of them with Barcelona.

Manchester City and Liverpool won their respective first legs of the Champions League 2021–2022 semi-finals in the midst of this week. Before the second match, both English clubs have a significant edge over their Spanish opponents after winning the first leg. Man City and Liverpool will be able to reach the final if they can maintain their present form in their next Champions League games. If that happens, this year's Champions League final will once again be an all-English affair.  Manchester City vs Real Madrid: 2022 Champions League Semi-Final Scenario Manchester City were favourites to win the first leg of their semi-final encounter against Real Madrid, and they performed as such throughout the match. Man City had 60 percent of the ball possession, completing 613 passes compared to Real Madrid's 416. This statistic reveals Real Madrid wanted to play counter-attacking football, whereas Manchester City preferred possession-based total football. Kevin de Bruyne's goal in the second minute gave the Citizens the lead for the first time in the game. Brazilian, Gabriel Jesus doubled the lead a few minutes later. Los Blancos cut the deficit in half in the 33rd minute, thanks to a goal by Karim Benzema. Phil Foden's goal in the 53rd minute gave the hosts a two-goal lead, but it only lasted two minutes as Brazilian Vinicius Jr made it 3-2 in the 55th minute. Read Liverpool vs Villarreal 2022: Champions League Semi-Final Preview, Team News, Prediction Manchester City kept attacking the opposition defense in the view of improving their lead, and Bernardo Silva did just that in the 74th minute with a stunning goal. Karim Benzema threw away the citizens lead with a magnificent Panenka penalty in the 88th minute. The match finished with a 4-3 victory for Manchester City. With a one-goal advantage, Man City will play Real Madrid in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday, May 5. The aggregate goals will determine the winner. Considering both teams' present strength and form, Manchester City will surely have the upper hand in this semi-final tie. If they qualify, the defending Premier League champions are likely to face an English opponent in back-to-back Champions League finals. Read Manchester City vs Real Madrid 2022: Champions League Semi-Final Match Preview Liverpool vs Villarreal: Scenario for the Champions League 2021-2022 Semi-Final The first leg of Liverpool's semi-final match was played at Anfield against Villarreal. Liverpool are the most in-form team in Europe right now, and they dominated Villarreal in this encounter. Only one shot was made at the Liverpool goalpost by the visitors, whereas the hosts had 19 attempts. More importantly, each side's ball possession reflected the real scenario. Liverpool enjoyed 74% ball possession against Villarreal's 26%. Furthermore, Liverpool completed 737 passes, whereas Villarreal only completed 272. Pervis Estupinan scored an own goal in the 53rd minute to give Liverpool the lead. Sadio Mane made it 2-0 only two minutes later. After that, no goals were scored, but Liverpool's performance demonstrated their actual ability as a team. Read PSG Secure 10th Ligue 1 Trophy Courtesy of Lionel Messi's Amazing Strike On the other hand, Villarreal's major strategy was to concede fewer goals in order to make the second leg of the semi-final match more open. Villarreal's prospect of making a strong comeback in the second leg are slim after witnessing Liverpool's performance in the first leg.   Aftermath Manchester City triumphed 4-3 over Real Madrid in a high-scoring contest in the first leg. According to the latest UEFA guidelines, away goal regulations are no longer in place. Therefore, Man City can be relaxed going into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. On the other hand, Liverpool's 2-goal advantage in the first leg will help them execute their game plan against Villarreal at the El Madrigal in the second leg. Manchester City and Liverpool are two of Europe's top clubs, therefore a tough battle is expected if they meet in the Champions League 2021–2022 final.  Read English Premier League 2021-22: Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester United Race for Top Four

Two goals from Mohamed Salah. A double as well from Roberto Firmino. All with 20-year-old midfielder Curtis Jones playing a part for Liverpool. The only Liverpool goal without a direct role for Jones came from Sadio Mane in a 5-1 victory at Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday. The six-time European champions benefited from poor goalkeeping from Diogo Costa to make it two wins out of two in Group B, which they lead by two points from Atlético Madrid after the Spanish champions won 2-1 at AC Milan. Read:Newcomer Sheriff stuns Real Madrid 2-1 in Champions League The goals started flowing in Porto in the 18th minute after Jones cut in on his right foot to fire in a low shot which Costa weakly parried into Zaidu Sanusi and Salah pounced from close range. The goalkeeping was even more questionable just before halftime. A sweeping move from left wing to right allowed James Milner to whip a low cross into the penalty area where Costa inexplicably put his arms behind his back to allow the ball to run to Mane, who gratefully accepted a fifth goal in five matches against the Portuguese side. Costa denied Diogo Jota’s fierce drive early in the second half before Salah showed him how it should be done as Jones’ driving run from deep teed up the Egypt striker, who took one touch before firing past Costa on the hour. Jota hit the side netting before Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp afforded himself the luxury of resting Salah, Mane and Milner for Sunday’s game against Manchester City in the Premier League. Read:Messi scores superb 1st goal for PSG in 2-0 win against City Mehdi Taremi pulled one back in the 74th minute with a diving header but there was still time for more Costa eccentrics as he raced out of his goal for a ball he was never going to get. Receiving a high ball from Jones, Firmino rolled a shot past Costa from 30 yards (meters) and, despite the goalkeeper’s despairing run and dive, it crept over the line. Firmino benefited from a deflected shot from Jones to slot home a second in the 81st.

Anfield was rocking. Jurgen Klopp was beating his chest and punching the air. Another famous comeback was on for Liverpool in the Champions League.