Arsenal, Liverpool pair cost £189m and were shamed by £17m striker masterclass from the Dutch | OneFootball

That was a thoroughly unsuccessful hatewatch for Erik ten Hag.

A quickfire double from the player who rejected him in the summer of 2022. A brace from the potential Cristiano Ronaldo replacement who decided to join Liverpool instead in the winter of 2023. A fine consolation from the player the Dutchman discarded that summer.

Netherlands 5 Sweden 1 made a compelling case to be called the game of the 2026 World Cup so far, defined by a club which had no players involved in it.

Even the final goal of a sublime half-dozen in Houston was set up by one former Manchester United forward and scored by one who might be in their immediate future. Crysencio Summerville’s confident run and finish from Memphis Depay’s pass crowned a match of exceptional attacking quality.

Beyond that, there was Manchester United transfer legend Frenkie de Jong pulling the strings, frequent target Denzel Dumfries starring ahead of his Real Madrid move, and Victor Lindelof categorically failing to keep the absurd pace.

Brian Brobbey scored the fourth-fastest brace from the start of a game in World Cup history. Cody Gakpo netted his seventh and eighth goals in his 13th major tournament appearance for the Oranje. Alexander Isak set up Anthony Elanga for a fine Sweden strike which must have infuriated Newcastle for myriad reasons.

It was fundamentally fun, a seemingly non-stop, end-to-end feast of transitions which ended with Yasin Ayari and Viktor Gyokeres having as many shots as the Dutch between them in a four-goal defeat.

Sweden beat Tunisia by the same scoreline in the first round of games and were no less effective going forward – until the finish. Brighton midfielder Ayari was particularly wasteful, at one point trying to chest down a stunning Gyokeres weak-footed cross instead of Robin van Persie-ing the ever-loving Christ out of a diving header against the perfect opposition.

Gyokeres and Isak linked up gloriously and the latter’s playmaking abilities were particularly impressive. The Liverpool forward nutmegged club team-mate Virgil van Dijk at one point and created at least twice the amount of chances as any other player.

But one errant Isak touch summed up the game. His loss of the ball on the edge of the area was punished within seconds by a swift counter-attack and ruthless Gakpo finish to make it 4-0.

Gakpo was irresistible, hitting the sort of form which tempted Liverpool into signing him immediately after the last World Cup. Yet it was Brobbey who probably underlined the difference between these two sides best.

The £17m Sunderland signing had 16 touches, completed five passes and scored with both of his shots. £189m worth of forward in Isak and Gyokeres had 71 touches and six shots between them but could find no way through.

Sweden were more intricate and considered in their approach. Netherlands, particularly early on, shifted it wide, whipped the ball in hard and low into the mixer and let their brilliant battering ram do the rest. Thierry Henry’s favourite striker