Lisandro Martinez had a game to forget as Liverpool hammered Manchester United at Anfield (Reuters)

Paul Scholes branded Lisandro Martinez ‘criminal’ for blocking David de Gea during Liverpool’s opening goal in their 7-0 win over Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.

Cody Gakpo opened the scoring for Jurgen Klopp’s side two minutes before the break while Liverpool were rampant in the second half as they went on to score six more without reply.

Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, who is now Liverpool’s leading goalscorer in Premier League history, both scored twice, while Gakpo added another before Roberto Firmino rounded off a miserable afternoon for Erik ten Hag’s side.

But Scholes was furious with Martinez’s part in Gakpo’s first goal as Argentina’s World Cup winner ran in front of De Gea just as the Liverpool forward 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.

Lisandro Martinez was in David de Gea’s eyeline for Cody Gakpo’s opener for Liverpool (Getty)

‘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.

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‘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.’

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United were hammered by Liverpool at Anfield.