Liverpool youngsters THRASHED by Man United in mini North West derby

It's safe to say that Liverpool failed to start the weekend as they meant to continue ahead of Sunday's mammoth clash against Manchester United.

The Reds travel to Old Trafford hoping to avenge FA Cup heartbreak from a month prior, where Amad Diallo scored a 120th minute to send his side to Wembley.

With Jurgen Klopp's side staring down the barrel of an intense three-way title run-in, they know slip-ups cannot be afforded and will thus be hellbent on taking three points to Merseyside.

However, the senior boys weren't the only ones with a fixture against United in the docket this weekend. In a precursor to Sunday afternoon's encounter, Liverpool's U18s had their own mini North West derby to contend with.

And unfortunately, things did not go to plan for Liverpool's youngsters. They suffered a heavy 9-1 thrashing at the hands of the Red Devils on Saturday, doing so on their own turf.

U18 Premier League North leaders United surged into a four-goal lead inside the opening 25 minutes, with an Ethan Wheatley brace added to by James Scanlon  and Ethan Williams.

Joe Bradshaw’s excellent finish got the Reds on the scoresheet and there were several chances for the hosts to cut into the visitors’ lead early in the second half.

But Wheatley completed a hat-trick, Scanlon bagged his second of the day, substitute Gabriele Biancheri grabbed a double and Ashton Missin also found the net to extend the United advantage.

An emphatic defeat at the hands of their rivals, this one will be a tough one to swallow for Marc Bridge-Wilkinson's side, but will surely act as an important learning curve for the future crop of Reds stars.