‘Lucky not to get a red’: Ronaldo accused of lashing out in ‘total frustration’ during Man Utd hammering by Liverpool

Cristiano Ronaldo has been criticized for an 'aggressive' act of 'total frustration' during Manchester United's Premier League clash with Liverpool, as many fans found him lucky to stay on the pitch.

The incident occurred in injury time approaching the end of the first half.

The visitors already 3-0 up at Old Trafford against their bitter rivals, tempers flared with United pretty much certain to fall to their third defeat of the season and remain eight points off the title pace.

Clearly frustrated, Ronaldo had enough of Curtis Jones rolling his foot over the ball and attempting to show him up after a shot of his was saved by Alisson and trickled towards the touchline.

First knocking the 20-year-old to the floor, he then booted the ball into his stomach as the England U21 was grounded, and many found him lucky not to have seen a red card and instead of just a yellow.

"Wow, wow, wow! That is total frustration. It is aggressive from Cristiano Ronaldo," said ex-Manchester United striker Dion Dublin on BBC.

"He does kick the ball, but the aggressive nature and having seen the replay then a yellow card is probably fair, but a lot of referees would have given a red for that."

"Ronaldo is rattled" remarked one fan online, while another quipped that he was getting "bodied" by Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk in the fixture.

"Cristiano Ronaldo continues being spoiled," commented a Brazilian football fan page alongside a vomit smiley.

"He's old enough to be his father," scoffed a separate party of the poor example the 36-year-old was setting.

"[Eden] Hazard against ball boy vibes," was another conclusion, in reference to when the Belgian now at Real Madrid kicked a youngster deemed to be giving an advantage to Swansea against Chelsea. 

Mohamed Salah then making it four, the Egyptian completed his hat-trick five minutes after the interval to put up a monstrous 5-0 scoreline which remained past Paul Pogba being dismissed for a similar moment of indiscipline on the hour mark. 

Through one of their most memorable victories behind enemy lines, Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool moved within a point of leaders Chelsea as calls for his opposite number Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to be dismissed grew.