2 goals by Luis Diaz and 1 goal by Mohamed Salah sealed an easy victory for Liverpool against Manchester United. With 9 points after 3 matches, The Kop took the lead in the Premier League with Manchester City.
Meanwhile, this was the second defeat for the "Red Devils" after the first 3 matches in the Premier League this season. With more than £180 million invested in transfers, questions are starting to arise about Erik ten Hag's team's ability to compete for a ticket to the Champions League.
Ten Hag, who is now entering his third season as Man United manager, lost to Slot, who has only played his third game as Liverpool manager. The preparation for this match was dominated by the story of two Dutch coaches who have moved from Eredivisie to manage the two biggest clubs in the Premier League. However, Slot looks more like a manager he has been in charge of for years than Ten Hag.
Last season's FA Cup title helped Ten Hag keep his job at Old Trafford. However, all the problems that threatened Ten Hag's position last year recurred in the loss to Liverpool.
Under Ten Hag, the "Red Devils" were often overwhelmed in midfield, lacked threats in the front line and also had difficulty with full-backs. Some of that can be attributed to the personnel, but the players have changed over time and the problems have not gone away.
Casemiro lacks mobility to play at the Premier League level, while Bruno Fernandes is too eager to attack and leave a big gap. Ten Hag had plenty of time to fix those mistakes, but he couldn't. And that is why Liverpool completely dominate the Old Trafford team.
Up front, Ten Hag has stuck with Marcus Rashford, who has yet to score this season. Joshua Zirkzee's summer contract also seems to be not physically enough. And Ten Hag's substitutions - allowing Rashford to play the full 90 minutes but taking Alejandro Garnacho off impressively - have fans questioning him.
Last week, Ten Hag said Slot inherited a better Liverpool side than he had at Man United. But it is argued that Ten Hag now has enough time to make a difference. The performance against Liverpool is a concern for the former Ajax coach in the new season.
"I think Man United have had a pretty good start. However, we made mistakes and paid the price for Liverpool's good finishing. All three goals were taken advantage of their impressive opportunities.
I have to admit this. Especially the first 2 goals conceded. You can't make those mistakes against big clubs like Liverpool. They will kill you immediately" - Ten Hag said after the match.
