Jurgen Klopp hails Liverpool ‘force of nature’ who’ll only get better and five other stars

Jurgen Klopp surveyed Liverpool's obliteration of Manchester United and revealed: it was one of the best performances for a long time.

The Reds sent out an emphatic message in their chase for a Premier League top-four finish as they thrashed their bitter rivals 7-0 at Anfield.

Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Mo Salah - who became the club's all-time Premier League top scorer by breaking Robbie Fowler's 128-goal record - all fired doubles. Then Roberto Firmino came off the bench to pile more humiliation on Erik ten Hag's side.

Liverpool have underwhelmed throughout the season but are now up to fifth in the table and only three points adrift of Tottenham - having played a game fewer.

Klopp saluted his troops' display as he challenged the Reds to build on the win. The Anfield supremo said: “It was one of the best performances for a long, long time. In a way, I think everybody saw how good the boys can be.

"I think nobody was in doubt about Darwin’s future impact when he settles because he is a real force of nature, Cody plays in the most difficult area of the pitch against a man-marking side which is super tricky, but how he keeps himself on his feet there and has the overview of everybody else, Mo is Mo, midfielders around.

“Harvey played a top game the other night against Wolves, had the highest counter-pressing outcome of any player in the Premier League this season so if that is not a qualification for starting again then I don’t know one to be honest, and is for us super important on the ball as well. Hendo didn’t start the last game, what a performance tonight, absolutely incredible, and Fab is back.

“Last line is in a better moment as well so it’s like it has to be. How I said, we have to make these results count with the result of the next game. That’s what we try.”

Liverpool travel to Bournemouth in five days’ time and Klopp insists they must be ready to ‘fight’ once again. He added: “I don’t know, does anybody know when we won against Bournemouth 9-0 how the next result was? We won [against Newcastle]? So, that's good - but in the last second, right? It was a completely different game, but a fantastic game. Our goal difference doesn’t look like we won one game 9-0 and one game 7-0, to be 100 per cent honest.

“How I said, I loved the performance, I loved the three points and the result is good as well but I don't carry that around. We didn't speak yet [about it] but Mo Salah achieved tonight something really, really special - we should not forget that just because we are used to him scoring a lot of goals. Very special, very special player, very special boy and should be really proud of that.

“We saw what a positive result can do to the boys. We were 7-0 up, somebody played a ball to Luke Shaw, back pass, and we chased him with four players and then you think, 'What are we doing here?' How much adrenaline it gives you and how much positivity it gives you. Now we have five days or so of time to prepare for Bournemouth; they were unlucky yesterday against Arsenal not to get a point at least. We have to make sure we are ready for that fight.”