Virgil van Dijk Says Liverpool Expected 'Something Else' from Manchester United

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk says his team expected something else from Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.

The Reds ran out deserved 3-1 winners to return to the top of the Premier League table, and the Dutchman says they were well-prepared for the visit of the Red Devils.

"We dominated the game and we deserved it," he said, per Jason Burt at The Telegraph. "We were expecting something else (tactically) from them. We were prepared and we knew about their strengths. We were ready for the fight."

Van Dijk put in another commanding display for the Reds and ensured Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku had a quiet game.

ESPN FC's Mark Ogden offered his view on the duel between the two players:

Sadio Mane opened the scoring for Liverpool, but Jesse Lingard equalised after an error from goalkeeper Alisson.

Substitute Xherdan Shaqiri then came on and scored twice in the second half to hand Liverpool all three points.

Squawka Football highlighted their attacking approach:

In contrast, Manchester United rarely looked like scoring and offered very little as an attacking force.

ESPN FC's Scott Patterson expects manager Jose Mourinho to be sacked:

The defeat leaves the Red Devils 11 points adrift of fourth place. Mourinho's side look to have little chance of qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League through their Premier League position.

However, the United boss is still confident his team can close the gap:

Liverpool's win on Sunday underlined the gulf in class that currently exists between the two sides. The Reds were far superior to their local rivals and could have won by a far bigger margin.