A crazy Anfield atmosphere awaits to welcome old foes Liverpool and Manchester United on Sunday afternoon – a renewal of hostilities with major implications on the respective Premier League title and top-four faces.
Both behemoths enter the showdown on a high, with the Reds seeing off Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 in the top flight, while Erik ten Hag’s men came from behind to sink West Ham United 3-1 in the FA Cup.
FORM GUIDE
United have now gone 11 games unbeaten following Wednesday evening’s win over the Hammers at Old Trafford.
That encounter was in the FA Cup fifth round and means that the Reds have played in three different competitions since our last Premier League outing – a 3-0 win over Leicester on 19 February – having beaten Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final and got past Barcelona in the Europa League.
Klopp’s side got back to winning ways against Wolves after Saturday’s goalless draw at Crystal Palace. They haven’t conceded in any of their last four top-flight games, having beaten Newcastle and Everton 2-0 in February.
The two teams will go head to head for the 211th time on Sunday – United have won 82 of the past encounters, to Liverpool’s 70 (58 draws).
A memorable 2-1 victory at Old Trafford in the reverse fixture saw us snap a three-game losing streak against our rivals from Merseyside.
Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford got the goals on that night, when Ten Hag picked up his first competitive win as United boss.
United have several confirmed absentees of their own in Anthony Martial, Donny van de Beek and Christian Eriksen, while Mason Greenwood is still not being considered for a return to first-team activities either.
Neither Jadon Sancho (illness) nor Luke Shaw (knock) were involved in the FA Cup win over West Ham, but the duo should not be sidelined for long and will push to return for the trip to Old Trafford – the latter will come in for Tyrell Malacia should he prove his fitness.
All of Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Casemiro, Fred, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Marcus Rashford are primed to return to the first XI after being named on the bench in midweek, as the latter aims to become just the fourth Man United player to score in six successive Premier League games after Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Antony, Fernandes, Rashford; Weghorst
Be the first to comment