Ten Hag thanks United fans for ‘unshakeable support’ as he departs with trophies and memories
United swiftly appointed Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim as his successor.
Liverpool slumped to their biggest-ever defeat in Premier League as Aston Villa thrashed them 7-2 while Tottenham Hotspur thrashed Manchester United 6-1.
On what was one of the wildest days in Premier League history, two of the biggest clubs, Liverpool and Manchester United, conceded a total of 13 goals between them in game week four.
Defending champions Liverpool slumped to their biggest-ever defeat in Premier League as Aston Villa thrashed them 7-2 at the Villa Park. The Reds surrendered seven goals for the first time after 1963.
At Old Trafford, United were embarrassed 6-1 by Tottenham Hotspur to hand them their biggest defeat since 2011. Also, the Red Devils have now lost their opening two home matches for the first time since 1986 as boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer labelled the misery as “my worst day ever”
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was so taken aback by his team that he wore a bemused grin throughout the match before his players handed him the heaviest defeat of his managerial career.
The wrecker-in-chief of Liverpool’s fate was Ollie Watkins, who on Sunday became the first Villa player to score a hat-trick against Liverpool for 88 years.
Watkins scored the opener in the fourth minute after an error by Liverpool keeper Adrian before doubling Villa’s lead in the 22nd minute.
Mohamed Salah, at the other end, reduced the parity in the 33rd minute but double blow from John McGinn and Watkins in the next four minutes made the scoreline 4-1 in favour of the home team.
While many had hoped Liverpool to dispose off their first-half performance and come to their usual self, Villa scored again in the 55th minute to end the visitors’ hope of making a comeback.
Rode Barkley, making his debut after joining on loan, made it 5-1 before Slash restored the gap again.
However, the Egyptian’s effort was nullified again within six minutes as Jack Grealish made it 6-2 before putting a final nail in Liverpool’s coffin in the 79th minute.
With three wins from as many matches, Villa stand second in the points table.
Meanwhile, just hours before Liverpool’s humiliation, arch-rivals Manchester United suffered a similar kind of embarassment against Tottenham Hotspur.
In what can easily be termed as Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho’s avenge against his former employers, Spurs inflicted a huge blow to United boss Solskjaer’s own job security. Mourinho was replaced by Solskjaer at Old Trafford in the middle of the season in 2018.
Even though United had taken a lead with a Bruno Fernandes penalty in just the second minute of the match, Spurs brought parity within two minutes with Tanguy Ndombele’s goal.
Heung-Min Son made it 2-1 in Tottenham’s favour with a free-kick in the seventh minute before Hary Kane extended the lead further in the 30th minute.
Son scored again seven minutes later to hand United four goals in the opening half of a league game for the first time since 1957.
In the meantime, United’s misery was made worse when Anthony Martial was harshly sent off.
The thrashing continued after the break as Serge Aurier made it 5-1 in just six minutes of play in the second half. Spurs skipper Kane bagged his brace and scored the last goal as he successfully converted from from the 12 yards spot in the 79th minute.
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