MY ACCOUNT
One of English football’s fiercest rivalries resumes on Monday as Manchester United host Liverpool at 8pm in the Premier League.
Despite their vaunted status, both have questions hanging over them.
Last Saturday, new Red Devils’ boss Erik ten Hag became the club’s first coach since John Chapman in 1921 to lose his first two competitive games in charge, doing so in style with that now infamous 4-0 defeat at Brentford.
Then on Monday, Liverpool were left frustrated with their second stalemate of the campaign, with another new arrival to English football, Darwin Nunez, sent off in a 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace.
It is safe to say that neither club has enjoyed an ideal start to 2022-23 and both Ten Hag and his opposite number, Jurgen Klopp, will hope this always fascinating fixture can kickstart their seasons.
Team news
United could be able to call upon Anthony Martial after the Frenchman return to training this week following a thigh injury.
Martial impressed in pre-season and could go straight into the side.
However, he will not be joined by Victor Lindelof, who remains unavailable, while Facundo Pellistri continues to battle an ankle issue.
For Liverpool, Nunez will serve the first game of his three-match ban but there is better news on Joe Gomez and Jordan Henderson who both made substitute appearances against Palace and should be fit to start at Old Trafford.
Thiago Alcantara, Diogo Jota, Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip are all out injured.
The stats
In all, these two have met on 209 occasions, with United winning 81 times, Liverpool 70 and them playing out 58 draws.
Mohamed Salah is one of four players to have netted nine times in this fixture, five of which came in the pair’s two league meetings last term.
Salah scored a hat-trick as Liverpool won 5-0 at Old Trafford in October 2021, before grabbing a brace in the return game at Anfield, a 4-0 victory.
Liverpool are unbeaten in the league in M16 since 2018, although the Red Devils did enjoy a 3-2 FA Cup win at Old Trafford in 2021, despite another brace from Salah.
United also won a pre-season friendly played in Bangkok, in which they triumphed 4-0 courtesy of goals from Jadon Sancho, Fred, Martial and Pellestri.
Prediction
With both sides far from their best, this could be a cagey affair as they both eye their maiden league wins of the campaign.
Liverpool have looked sluggish against both Fulham and Palace and may still be paying for last season’s efforts when they challenged on four fronts.
However, United are a long way from where they both want and need to be and it will be interesting to see how Ten Hag tempers his approach after being 4-0 down at half-time at Brentford.
An extra week with his players on the training ground will surely have helped but there are still questions over both his tactics and selection.
In contrast, despite their relative woes, everyone at Liverpool appears to know their respective roles as both an individual and within the collective and they will see Monday’s match as the perfect chance to prove their early-season doubters wrong.
With no Nunez, Salah will also have extra pressure to perform.
However, he will relish running at what looks a weak left edge of the United defence and with the last five meetings between these sides averaging five goals, over 3.5 strikes could be something to look out for.
