Paul Scholes called Lisandro Martinez ‘criminal’ for blocking David de Gea during Liverpool’s opening goal in their win over Manchester United on Sunday.
Cody Gakpo opened the scoring for the Reds two minutes before the half-time break while Liverpool were rampant in the second half as they went on to score six more goals without reply.
Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah, who is now Liverpool’s leading goalscorer in the Premier League history, both scored twice, while Gakpo added another before Firmino rounded off a disappointing afternoon for the Red Devils.
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But Scholes was furious with Martinez’s part in Gakpo’s opening goal as Argentina’s World Cup winner ran in front of De Gea just as the Liverpool star struck the ball towards goal.
‘I certainly don’t think it helps De Gea,’ Scholes said at half time.
‘I don’t think he’s quite in line at the point it’s kicked but David can also think the ball might hit him.
‘But when he [Gakpo] does hit it, he has gone right past him. ‘You see David’s reaction there towards Martinez, he doesn’t quite have a go at him, but I think he should do.
‘I think it happened a couple of times, once before with Robertson where he ended up clearing it off the line, he’s going far too deep, he should be getting up the pitch, can he stop the shot or have an effect on the shot rather than get in the keeper’s way.
‘He needs to trust his goalkeeper. This is a top goalkeeper we’re talking about, do not get in his way. If anybody gets in the goalkeeper’s way it’s criminal.’
