Virgil van Dijk insists Liverpool will not listen to suggestions they are favourites against Villarreal when the two sides meet in the Champions League semi-finals.

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool defeated Benfica while Villarreal rallied past Bayern Munich to reach the final four and set up just the third meeting between the two teams in European competition.

The Reds will boast home advantage in the first leg on Wednesday, Villarreal having not managed victory in any of their past eight away games in England in all competitions since August 2005.

That last triumph on English soil was over fellow Merseysiders Everton, who Liverpool defeated 2-0 on Sunday to keep their Premier League title and quadruple hopes alive.

While Klopp's team have impressed on all fronts this season, winning the EFL Cup and reaching the FA Cup final as well, Van Dijk warned that Unai Emery's side will pose a threat.

"No, these are press debates that we prefer not to listen to," he told Spanish outlet EFE when asked if Liverpool were favourites. 

"We don't listen if they tell us that we're favourites or not. We will play on Wednesday as we try to play every game, that is, going out to try to win and, if we can, reach the final. 

"Villarreal are a great team, with great fans and a great coach. We really want these two games to start now.

"It will be very difficult because Villarreal is a very difficult team. Obviously, I have seen the games against Bayern Munich and they are a fantastic team defensively.

"The players work hard, have a lot of experience and, above all, play like a collective. In this round only the best remain. There is no easy rival in a semi-final.

"We are aware of the difficulty of these games and these rivals. The return there in Spain is going to be very hard and we expect it to be very intense."

Gerard Moreno has registered four assists in the Champions League this term, with only three players managing more. Indeed, since 2003-04, this is the joint-most by a Spanish player in their debut campaign in the competition, along with Gabi (2013-14) and Isaac Cuenca (2011-12).

Meanwhile, only Karim Benzema (15) has created more secondary chances – the pass played before the ball that sets up a shot or goal – than Dani Parejo (14), highlighting his influence in building Villarreal's attacks, and Van Dijk pinpointed the dangerous pair.

"[Their] central defenders are incredible. Raul Albiol and Pau Torres. They are very experienced and fantastic," the Netherlands international added. 

"Then in the centre of the pitch they have the calm and the touch of Parejo and up top Gerard Moreno [if he is fit] is very fast and can surprise you. 

"We already know a lot about [Arnaut] Danjuma from his time at Bournemouth. It's going to be a very complicated match-up, but this is the Champions League semi-final. We knew it wasn't going to be easy."

Along with the talent on the pitch, Klopp will also face off against Emery, who has progressed from 84 per cent of his Europa League and Champions League knockout ties (31/37) since the start of the 2009-10 season.

Only former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane (14/16 – 88 per cent) boasts a better win rate in that period among managers to take charge of at least 10 games, and Klopp will be looking to make amends after Emery’s Sevilla beat Klopp’s Liverpool 3-1 in the 2016 Europa League final.

Divock Origi kept up his run of scoring against Everton as his late goal helped Liverpool claim a 2-0 win in the Merseyside derby.

The Reds were made to work hard by struggling Everton, who went into Sunday's match in the relegation zone after Burnley had defeated Wolves earlier on.

Liverpool are now back within a point of their Premier League title rivals Manchester City, while third-placed Chelsea moved five points clear of fourth-placed Arsenal with a last-gasp win over West Ham.

Brighton and Hove Albion and Southampton played out a 2-2 draw in the day's other game. Here, using Opta data, Stats Perform checks the best facts from Sunday's action.

Chelsea 1-0 West Ham: Pulisic spares Jorginho's blushes

Chelsea turned in a below-par performance against West Ham, but got over the line thanks to Christian Pulisic's last-gasp winner.

The Blues had lost their previous two matches at Stamford Bridge and looked set to be on their way to a third home game without a win when Jorginho sent a poor penalty straight at Lukasz Fabianski.

Jorginho had converted each of his last 13 penalties for Chelsea, excluding shoot-outs, with this being his first failure to score from the spot for the Blues since Boxing Day 2020.

But Pulisic swept in from Marcos Alonso's cross to win it. The United States international has been directly involved in 10 goals in 32 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions this term (seven goals, three assists), matching his tally from last season when he made 43 appearances.

Burnley 1-0 Wolves: Clarets out of the bottom three

Burnley claimed a second win on the bounce to lift themselves above Everton and move out of the relegation zone.

They have now won three home Premier League games in a row for the first time since a run of five between December 2016 and January 2017, and that is the same number of victories as they managed across the 26 games beforehand.

Indeed, Burnley have picked up seven points in their three Premier League games under Mike Jackson (W2 D1), the same number of points as Sean Dyche picked up during his final eight league games at the club (W2 D1 L5).

Wolves, meanwhile, have now suffered more defeats in their last five away league games (four) than they had in their first 12 on the road this season (W7 D2 L3).

Matej Vydra grabbed Burnley's winner. Four of his eight top-flight goals for the Clarets have been ones to claim three points.

Brighton and Hove Albion 2-2 Southampton: Ward-Prowse closes on free-kick record

James Ward-Prowse scored both of Southampton's goals as they came from behind to rescue a point in the south coast derby against Southampton.

Despite scoring as many goals on Sunday as they did in their previous seven home Premier League matches, Brighton failed to win a game in which they led by at least two goals for just a third time in the competition (P23 W20 D2 L1), having won each of their previous 13 such matches.

But after an own goal put Brighton further ahead, Ward-Prowse's excellent free-kick halved the deficit. He has now scored 14 direct free-kick goals in the top flight, just four shy of David Beckham's record, while only the Manchester United great and Laurent Robert (both five) have netted more free-kicks in a single season.

Ward-Prowse doubled his tally and restored parity with another long-range effort, and 44 per cent of his league goals for the Saints have come from outside the box (17/39).

Liverpool 2-0 Everton: Origi strikes again to give Toffees the Blues

It took Liverpool until the 62nd minute to break the deadlock at Anfield, though they were arguably fortunate not to have conceded a penalty not long before.

Nevertheless, Liverpool's dominance finally told as Everton's back-to-the-wall display was broken – Andy Robertson heading in before Origi scored late on. The striker has now netted six times in nine league appearances against Everton, scoring once every 62 minutes on average.

Liverpool have lost just one of their last 23 Premier League games against Everton (W10 D12), completing the league double over their neighbours for the first time since 2016-17. They now have 79 points, 50 more than Everton, which is the joint-largest margin they have held in the competition (along with the 2019-20 season).

Everton will end the day in the relegation zone for the first time since December 2019 (also after a derby defeat at Anfield), while this is the furthest into a season, after 32 games or more, the Toffees have found themselves in the bottom three since 1998-99.

They have lost 11 of their last 12 Premier League away games (D1), including each of the last seven in a row. It is their longest run of consecutive away defeats since a run of eight between April and October 1994.

Origi has now scored 11 goals as a substitute in the Premier League, the outright most by a Liverpool player, overtaking Daniel Sturridge's 10. 

Liverpool recorded a possession figure of 82.7 per cent against Everton – only Man City (83 per cent v Swansea City in April 2018) have recorded a higher such figure in a Premier League game since Opta started collecting this data (2003-04). 

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was ecstatic with the efforts of Divock Origi in his side's 2-0 win against Everton on Sunday.

Origi was subbed on in the 60th minute with the game goalless before Liverpool broke the deadlock just two minutes later through an Andy Robertson header.

The Belgium striker capped off his performance by sealing victory from close range in the 85th minute.

Origi has scored six goals against Everton in all competitions for Liverpool, which is twice as many goals as he has scored against any other side for the Reds, who remain a point behind Premier League leaders Manchester City.

His finish also marked the striker's 11th goal as a substitute in the Premier League, the outright most by a Liverpool player, overtaking Daniel Sturridge's 10.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the victory, Klopp heaped praise on Origi.

"[Origi] is a world-class striker," he said. "He's our best finisher, definitely – he always was, and everybody [at Liverpool] would say the same. 

"You see him do these kinds of things in training, and then he's not in the squad because of the quality of other players. It's really hard. 

"We will never miss a player like him because if he leaves, he will explode wherever he goes… he is a legend and will stay a legend forever. 

"He doesn't always make the squad which is ridiculous, but he is there when we need him every time… everything that we did in the second half, without Divock, wouldn't have happened."

Klopp went on to highlight the depth of this Liverpool squad, with players that are unlucky to not be playing more minutes.

"The group lives because of the boys that don't always play – they are the strongest players ever," he added.

"[Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain, [Harvey] Elliot, [Takumi] Minamino, even Rhys Williams. They are in great shape, but the way they behave is why we do these kinds of things."

Everton winger Anthony Gordon must "be careful" about developing a reputation for diving after the youngster was denied a penalty in the 2-0 loss to Liverpool.

That is according to former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher, who hailed Gordon but expressed concern for the 21-year-old potentially gaining a deceitful image among Premier League referees.

Gordon was cautioned for an apparent dive in the first half at Anfield following a Naby Keita challenge inside the area, before he saw penalty appeals for a foul by Joel Matip waved away after the interval.

While suggesting his alleged play-acting might be an issue with referees, Carragher believes the latter incident should have seen Gordon - and Everton - awarded a spot-kick.

"He's got to be careful Anthony Gordon," he said on Sky Sports. "He's a great lad, a great player – he was one of the best players on the pitch [on Sunday], caused Liverpool all sorts of problems.

"But he's got to be careful of that. It's not the first one [dive] and it will be in the referees' heads and maybe he hasn't got what he deserved because of a few incidents in three or four other games but that's a stonewall penalty [the Matip foul]."

Fellow pundit Graeme Souness echoed Carragher's comments as he suggested Liverpool players will immediately have been pressuring Stuart Attwell following Gordon's first-half booking.

"In the very first few minutes when he [Gordon] dived to try and get a penalty," Souness added. "You can bet, if we're players out there, we're getting in the referee's ear – 'he's a diver ref' – so you're planting the seed as well."

However, Everton manager Frank Lampard questioned whether his side would have received different decisions away from Anfield.

"I think they both could have been penalties but you often don't get them at Anfield," Lampard told BBC Sport.

"The fact there's contact and he gets booked is crazy. The second one was a foul [anywhere else] on the pitch. Sometimes you don't get them here."

In his post-match news conference, Lampard added: "If that was [Mohamed] Salah at the other end, he gets a penalty. You don't get them here. That's the reality of football sometimes."

Gordon, meanwhile, was infuriated.

"The second one for me was the strongest, I've gone one-on-one with him and I've got the better of him and he's stood on my foot which has caused me severe pain and I've gone down," Gordon told Sky Sports when asked about his two penalty claims.

"The first one I've watched back, I've felt the contact and went down, but I can see why he hasn't given it but it's certainly not a yellow card or a dive because there's contact."

Defeat left Everton in the relegation zone after 32 matches for the first time since April 1999, following Burnley's win over Wolves, and the Toffees are 50 points behind Liverpool – the joint-biggest lead the Reds have had over their Merseyside rivals.

Lampard also expressed his pride in Everton's performance, with their game plan clear – their 32 passes in the first half was the fewest by a team in the first half of a Premier League game since November 2006 – before Liverpool's quality told in the end.

"They're in a different area to us. They're near the top of the table, they've been together a long time and have a strong style of play," he said.

"We had to be organised and disciplined. I couldn't ask for more at half-time except taking our chances. I'm proud and happy with the performance. We have to take that spirit forward to the final games."

Jurgen Klopp joked "thank god a game has two halves" after Liverpool improved on a below-par first-half showing to overcome Everton 2-0 in Sunday's Merseyside derby.

The Reds failed to register a shot on target in the first half of a home Premier League game for just the second time this season against a resolute Everton side.

Liverpool continued to struggle early in the second period, but Andy Robertson broke the Toffees' resolve with 62 minutes played from the home side's first attempt on target.

Substitute Divock Origi added a late second with his sixth goal against Everton in all competitions, twice as many as he has netted against any other side as a Liverpool player.

A 12th win in 13 top-flight matches moves Liverpool back to within a point of leaders Manchester City, but Klopp conceded his side were far from their best against Everton.

"Thank God the game has two halves," he told BBC Sport. "We didn't play particularly well in the first half. They made it uncomfortable but we didn't get in behind the last line. 

"We didn't have enough movement and weren't quick enough. We passed the ball into the area where they had nine players. 

"In the second half we were much more direct and caused them much more problems. The goals were wonderful."

Klopp added: "The amount of wins we've had in recent months is insane. You have to work. The boys did that again. I'm really happy.

"We stayed really cool and calm. The changes helped, fresh players, different formation. It made it difficult for the opposition. We won 2-0, it's absolutely fine."

Liverpool's 82.75 per cent possession is the second most a side has managed in a Premier League game since at least 2003-04, when such records were first recorded, behind Man City's 82.95 against Swansea City in 2017-18.

Everton's 32 passes in the first half is the fewest by a team in the division since November 2006, meanwhile, but Klopp insisted he was not surprised by the visitors' tactics.

"We expected it," he said. "We expected them to do it, but we didn't react well. It's difficult.

"Each ball Jordan Pickford has he takes five minutes so we couldn't gain rhythm which you need to break down a low block."

Everton may have registered only one shot on target, but they had a strong penalty appeal rejected at 0-0 when Joel Matip put his arm across Anthony Gordon inside the box.

Gordon, who had earlier been cautioned for diving, argued after the match that a spot-kick should have been awarded, though Klopp had a different view of the incident.

"It was clearly no penalty," the German said. "He's really good but he's lucky not to get a second yellow. The first was not a penalty and the second wasn't."

Following Burnley's win against Wolves earlier on Sunday, Everton find themselves in the relegation zone at this stage of the season for the first time since April 1999.

"Everton did what they had to do," Klopp added. "We deserved the three points. With a performance like this I think they can get the points they need.

"If anybody thinks we fly through these games, I can apologise, it won't happen. If we can create atmospheres like today it's difficult to deal with us for 95 minutes."

Liverpool moved back to within a point of Premier League leaders Manchester City with a battling 2-0 win over Everton on Sunday thanks to second-half goals from Andy Robertson and Divock Origi.

The Reds were frustrated for the best part of an hour by Merseyside rivals Everton, who dropped into the relegation zone ahead of kick-off following Burnley's earlier win over Wolves.

Neither side registered an attempt on target in an at times feisty first half, but Robertson made the all-important breakthrough after 62 minutes with a header from close range.

Origi added a late second against his favourite opponents as Jurgen Klopp's side made certain of a 12th win in their past 13 top-flight outings to stay within touching distance of City with five games left to go.

Former Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt has said he finds the high levels reached by the Reds and Premier League title rivals Manchester City "amazing".

Kuyt played for Liverpool between 2006 and 2012, winning the EFL Cup in his final season at Anfield.

However, having already secured the same trophy this season, Liverpool have three more titles in their sights as they look to complete an unprecedented quadruple.

Liverpool sealed a place in the FA Cup final against Chelsea after beating City 3-2 at Wembley last week, have a Champions League semi-final against Villarreal on the horizon, and sit just a point behind Pep Guardiola's team in the race for the Premier League title.

Speaking to Stats Perform, Kuyt praised the levels of both title rivals, saying: "There's something changing if you play an opponent more than two or three times in a season and that's happening with Liverpool and City now.

"It's very interesting because we have already seen two very good games between Liverpool and City. In my opinion, City was a little bit the better team in the Premier League match [a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium] but obviously in the FA Cup semi-final, Liverpool showed what they are capable of.

"It's just amazing what a high level these kinds of games are because I didn't see better games than the Liverpool and City games this season."

The Dutchman scored 67 goals in 281 games for Liverpool in all competitions, and enjoyed a particularly strong record in Merseyside derbies, scoring five goals in 11 Premier League appearances against Everton.

Jurgen Klopp's side entertain Everton on Sunday, with the Toffees in the midst of a relegation fight, and Kuyt says the derby is on the minds of people in the city.

"You can already feel it the week before," he said. "So we are a couple of days before the derby game, and once I landed in Liverpool, when I came from Amsterdam this morning, people are already talking about the derby game and it's massive for the city.

"You've got families, one is for Liverpool, the other one is for Everton. So yeah, it's just a great game and a really important game.

"I used to play in these games. Thankfully, I won more than I lost but for Liverpool and the city, it's very important. Liverpool will win again on Sunday.

"I was used to playing these kinds of games in Holland with Feyenoord and Ajax, and when I came to Liverpool, this game together with the Man United game was one of the most important games of the season. I loved these kinds of games the most when everyone is fully up for it, so I really enjoyed it and I was happy to score important goals."

When asked for his favourite derby memory, Kuyt pointed to the game at Goodison Park in the 2007-08 season in which he scored two penalties, including one in second-half stoppage time to win it, though he was also perhaps fortunate to avoid a red card for a challenge on Phil Neville earlier in the contest.

"If I have to go back it's when I scored two penalties, and one in [injury] time," he said. "And somewhere in between I tried to kick somebody and thankfully I didn't get a red card. [It was a] special game for me and to celebrate the winning goal in [injury] time with the fans was something I'll never forget."

The records and statistics are there to be broken, so we are told, and never was that more true than on Everton's most recent trip to fierce rivals Liverpool in February 2021.

An early Richarlison strike and Gylfi Sigurdsson's late sealer from the penalty spot earned Everton a 2-0 win, snapping the Toffees' 22-year wait for victory at Anfield.

That success, coming on the back of a 20-game winless run away to Liverpool in the Premier League, gave Everton bragging rights and moved them level on points with the Reds.

Fourteen months on from that game, though, and the fortunes of the rival clubs could not be much different.

While Liverpool are still on track for an unprecedented quadruple of Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup and Champions League, relegation is a real possibility for Everton.

The stakes could not be much higher in this latest encounter at Anfield, then, in a contest that will have huge permutations at both ends of the division.

Liverpool targeting rare derby double

That aforementioned defeat in this corresponding fixture last season was the only time Liverpool have lost to Everton in their past 22 Premier League encounters.

The Reds eased to a 4-1 win when the sides last met four months ago, but only once in the past 10 seasons – in 2016-17 – have they completed the league double in this fixture.

While Everton have struggled for victories against their neighbours, they have at least managed to claim plenty of draws down the years.

Indeed, no Premier League fixture has finished level more often than this one, with the sides playing out 24 draws in total.

Red cards and late drama

The Merseyside derby is also out in front in another couple of categories, namely the most red cards issued, proving this game lives up to its reputation as being a fierce contest.

Twenty-two red cards have been dished out in 59 previous Premier League encounters, which is five more than any other fixture.

Liverpool versus Everton has also witnessed the most 90th-minute winners in the competition's history, with five goals being scored in added time at the end of a game.

They don't like Sundays

On the form book alone, Everton do not stand a chance this weekend. 

The Toffees have lost 10 of their last 11 away league games, including each of the last six, which is their worst-such run since going eight without a point in 1994.

Unsurprisingly, then, Everton have won fewer away points than any Premier League side this term with just six, whereas Liverpool's 42 home points is more than anyone else.

Yet Sunday may just be the best time for Frank Lampard's men to face the team from across Stanley Park.

Having won 14 straight home Premier League matches on that day of the week, Liverpool have since won just two of their last seven Sunday fixtures, losing two of those.

Salah out to shine

Amid ongoing questions over his future, Mohamed Salah returned to form by scoring his first goals in seven matches for Liverpool in the midweek win over Manchester United.

Everton need no telling of Salah's eye for goal as the Egypt international was on target twice in December's reverse fixture, with Jordan Henderson and Diogo Jota also netting.

Salah is now out to become the first Liverpool player since Dick Forshaw in 1925-26 to score multiple goals in both league meetings with Everton in a single campaign.

All eyes may be on Salah, but back-up striker Divock Origi has also inflicted his fair share of pain on Everton.

Origi's five Premier League goals against Everton are the most he has managed against a single side, and three of those have proved to be the winning strike.

Jurgen Klopp declared "thank God these people don't make decisions" when asked if in-form Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara had won over his doubters.

Thiago arrived from Bayern Munich ahead of the 2020-21 season with many pundits questioning whether he would slow down Liverpool's high-octane game and if he could adapt to the rigours of the Premier League.

A maiden campaign disrupted by injury, and one that saw depleted Liverpool scramble to secure Champions League football, may have given rise to those who hold such a viewpoint.

But it always looked a sketchy opinion at best and Thiago is sparkling in a Reds side who still hold aspirations of a sensational quadruple.

Having dominated Manchester City in last week's FA Cup semi-final with his exquisite range of passing, the Spain international repeated the trick in a 4-0 dismantling of rivals Manchester United in midweek.

For Liverpool boss Klopp there was never any doubt about the qualities Thiago would bring to his midfield.

"People questioned if he suits us? Thank God these people don't make decisions," Klopp said ahead of Sunday's Merseyside derby against Everton.

"If a player calms games down in moments, it's just of course nothing we thought. Thiago wanted to join us and he knew how we play. He thinks a lot about football.

"I don't like to talk too much about one player. Not that he doesn't deserve it but I leave this room and I can hear that such and such a player is injured, so let's just carry on."

Liverpool have already secured the EFL Cup this season, are in the final of the FA Cup, have a semi-final against Villarreal in the Champions League on the horizon, and trail City by a solitary point in a thrilling title race.

Klopp concedes such pressure is not always the most enjoyable experience for this star-studded squad.

"[They don't enjoy it] all the time, but a lot. It's an incredibly tough situation and we play pretty much all the time," he added.

"We love the situation we are in. You cannot plan being in everything. We won one competition, that's great, but there are still three more competitions to go.

"We are looking forward to everything that is coming up."

While the red side of Merseyside is rocking, Everton are in a perilous position.

The Toffees are just a point above the drop zone after Burnley defeated Southampton on Thursday, albeit with a game in hand, and are in a desperate situation as the season draws to a close.

Klopp hopes Frank Lampard's side can find a way to stave off the drop.

"Of course [I would miss playing Everton]," he said.

"Playing United the other night makes it different, usually the full week before you play Everton there are full talks about the derby."

Mohamed Salah thinks he will sign a new contract with Liverpool but says there are no guarantees he will remain at Anfield.

Salah has just over a year remaining on his deal and has been unable to agree terms to extend his stay on Merseyside.

The prolific Egypt forward has reiterated that he is not looking to move on and a decision over his future will not be based on money alone.

Asked by FourFourTwo if he will sign a new contract, he said: "Yeah. Er, I think so?"

Salah then quipped: "But if they want me to go, that’s something different!"

The 29-year-old added: "I don’t know, I have one year left. I think the fans know what I want, but in the contract it's not everything about the money at all.

"So I don't know, I can't tell you exactly. I have one year left and the fans know what I want."

Liverpool remain in the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple and Salah he is not concerned by uncertainty over his future with so much to play for late in the season.

"I'm not worried, I don't let myself worry about something," the former Chelsea and Roma man said. 

"The season didn't finish yet, so let's finish it in the best possible way – that's the most important thing. Then in the last year, we're going to see what's going to happen."

Cristiano Ronaldo has thanked the Liverpool and Manchester United fans who came together to pay tribute to the five-time Ballon d'Or winner on Tuesday.

Ronaldo missed United's 4-0 defeat to rivals Liverpool at Anfield after the loss of his newborn son.

But supporters of both teams made clear United's number seven was in their thoughts with applause after seven minutes.

The Liverpool fans also broke into a chorus of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.

And in his first Instagram post since confirming his son's death, Ronaldo shared a clip of that moment alongside a message.

"One world... One sport... One global family... Thanks, Anfield," he wrote.

"Me and my family will never forget this moment of respect and compassion."

Liverpool can win the Premier League title despite having a tougher run-in than rivals Manchester City, according to former Reds defender Jose Enrique.

Enrique, who made 76 top-flight appearances for the Reds, also believes Jurgen Klopp's team could count the season as a success even if they do not record a second Premier League triumph under the German.

A 4-0 thrashing of Manchester United moved Klopp's men top of the league ahead of City hosting Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday, keeping the Reds in contention for an incredible quadruple.

After watching his old team rout United, Enrique believes Liverpool can go on to secure a 20th English top-flight title despite a seemingly less favourable run-in than fellow contenders City.

"I hope so, I really believe they can [win the league]," he told Stats Perform. "Listen, the reality is what Klopp and the players said, you depend on yourself for winning the remaining games, that's what you can do. 

"Let's see what happens, at the moment it's still in Manchester City's hands, that's the reality. They [Liverpool] can [only] do what they say, take it game-by-game and try to win all the remaining games.

"That isn't easy, obviously you're coming into Everton now, they are in a very bad moment, but again anything can happen.

"Obviously the most difficult fixtures on paper are for Liverpool, but I really believe they can do it.

"But it's true that if they win all the remaining games and at the end, they [still] don't win it, for me, it will still be a massive success for the club."

Liverpool's 4-0 thrashing of Ralf Rangnick's side, coupled with a 5-0 rout at Old Trafford earlier this campaign, means Klopp's team have hit nine goals past the Red Devils without reply this term, with only Sunderland in 1892-93 (11-0) ever recording a more dominant combined league triumph over United.

Although Enrique enjoyed watching Liverpool tear their rivals apart at Anfield, he expressed sympathy for Rangnick's team and said he would like to see the rivals face off on a more level playing field.

"You enjoy it, you know, nine goals against them this season, five away from home and four obviously at Anfield, a clean sheet in both of them." he added. 

"Listen, in a way I feel sorry about them [United]. Because the rivalry between both clubs has always been the best in the Premier League, this kind of game is even more important. 

"So, in a way, I would like actually a better game, you know, from that side, a little more complicated [for Liverpool], but at the same time, we're fighting for every single title."

The defeat represented a new low in another frustrating season for United, who are now winless in eight head-to-head clashes with Liverpool (three draws, five losses).

Enrique was exasperated by Bruno Fernandes suggesting his team had nothing to play for after the defeat, the Spaniard stating he has never seen a greater divide between players and fans at United.

"It's like they weren't playing for anything at Manchester," he added. "[But] you have to actually work to try to get in the top four, and then after the game, you see Bruno Fernandes having an interview and saying they aren't playing for anything and Liverpool is playing for a title. 

"They are actually trying to play to get into the top four, I don't know, I think I've never seen a United team like this season before.

"Definitely the difference between the clubs, at the moment, is massive, I really believe they need to get rid of some other players, there will be some of them that finish their contract as well.

"They need to get that manager that they trust, and then you can see the unity between the fans and club. I've never seen that before, you know?

"I think they [United's players and fans] are very very far away from each other… very, very far away. The farthest away I have seen."

Mohamed Salah has denied criticising Manchester United's players after he scored twice in Liverpool's rampant 4-0 win over the Red Devils.

Having also scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 win at Old Trafford in October, Salah's double on Tuesday meant he became the first player in Premier League history to score five goals against United in a single season in the competition.

Liverpool's dominant display also saw them go top of the Premier League, ahead of rivals Manchester City's clash with Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday.

After the match, Salah seemed to tell Sky Sports that United's players "make life easier" for the Reds, when answering a question about Liverpool's recent dominance in the rivalry.

However, the Premier League's leading scorer insisted this was not the case, and explained that he was referring to the quality of his own team-mates.

"I meant our midfield, and our defence, make it easy for us," Salah clarified in a tweet on Wednesday. 

"I was not talking about the Manchester United players, whom I respect."

Having teed up Luis Diaz's opener at Anfield, Salah also became just the second player to both score and assist in home and away Premier League games against United in a single season, after Mesut Ozil did so in 2015-16.

Liverpool are now unbeaten in their last eight league games against United, winning five and drawing three.

It is the joint-longest run any team has ever managed against United in the competition (Chelsea also went eight unbeaten between 2013 and 2016).

Peter Schmeichel is confident Manchester United chief executive Richard Arnold is aware of the scale of the task ahead of him at Old Trafford.

Having watched United lose 4-0 to old rivals Liverpool on Tuesday, Schmeichel believes a new manager alone will not be enough to turn his former club's fortunes around.

Erik ten Hag is widely expected to be confirmed as United's next permanent boss, replacing interim appointment Ralf Rangnick, but he faces a daunting challenge.

United remain just three points outside the top four in the Premier League but offered little hint of a late-season fight for Champions League football in their meek Anfield reverse.

Various United legends bemoaned the state of the club following that awful defeat, but Schmeichel at least feels Arnold – appointed earlier this year – is the right man to take the club forward.

"Make no mistake, this is not a case of getting a new manager in and everything will be brilliant again and he will create this wonderful team," Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"This is about a rebuild of the club. We changed leadership at the beginning of February. Richard Arnold has started the job of CEO, and it's the first CEO we have had since David Gill.

"He has a bit of power now to do what he thinks is right for the job, and I welcome that.

"I have had lots of conversations with him about the future of Man United, and he understands it's not about the manager, it's about restructuring and modernising the club.

"We pride ourselves on our fantastic history, but at some point, we have to plan ahead. I have great faith in him and the direction he wants to take the club."

New investment at Milan could see the Italian powerhouse target the best players across Europe's top clubs.

Milan have entered into exclusive talks with Bahrain-based asset manager Investcorp over a takeover.

The Rossoneri have been linked with Real Madrid's Marco Asensio and Isco and Liverpool's Divock Origi already.

TOP STORY – STERLING ON MILAN WISH LIST

Milan are monitoring Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

The England international is among a list of players that Milan would like to sign amid a reported lucrative takeover by a Bahrain-based organisation.

Sterling's current contract with City expires in 2023, but the Daily Mail claims he would turn down the Italian move.

ROUND-UP

– Christian Eriksen is gaining interest from former employers Tottenham after a good run of form, although his agent is set to meet with Brentford at the end of this season to formalise his future, claims Fabrizio Romano.

– Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga will hold talks at the end of this season to discuss his future having struggled for opportunities, reports Football.London.

– Jose Mourinho's Roma will open talks with Nemanja Matic's representatives as the Serbian midfielder prepares to leave Manchester United, reports Nicolo Schira.

– Manchester Evening News claims Manchester United have revived their interest in Villarreal defender Pau Torres.