Premier League: This Mersey/Manchester Clash is as Big as it Gets!

Liverpool vs Manchester United

The North West of England is the centre of football this weekend folks as two of the most famous clubs in the world come face to face in a high stakes clash.

And I’m not talking about Blackpool versus Burnley!  

Premier League: Liverpool vs Manchester United is one of the biggest games in world football and when the two juggernauts collide on Sunday it could make a huge difference to the season for both of them. The hosts are beginning to show signs of shaking off the malaise of a poor first half of the campaign and have their sights set on a Champions League place, while the visitors, so long in the shadow of Liverpool and Manchester City, are up in third place and with an outside chance of winning the league.

That dream will all but disappear if they lose at Anfield though.    

This is one of those games when you can throw out the form guide and the league position because passions run high and both teams have plenty of players who can win a match. And referee Andy Madley has one of the most difficult jobs in football this weekend, there is no love lost between these two teams and the Liverpool vs Manchester United betting odds make this the tightest clash for a while. 

The pressure on the ref will be massive. 

Liverpool come into the game on the back of a 2-0 win over Wolves while Manchester United reached the quarter finals of the FA Cup with a comeback win over West Ham.  

Talking Points

Top four is on for Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp has a fair amount of credit in the bank but in a league where owners hire and fire for fun the Liverpool board hasn’t wavered. They are probably spending more time working on a sale of the club but, either way, it would be madness to sack their coach. He has been very unlucky with injuries in an aging side but, with one or two players coming back, results are picking up.

Liverpool have won ten points from the last four league games without conceding a goal.     

Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk were on target as the Reds beat Wolves 2-0 on Wednesday to move up to sixth in the table, and within six points of fourth placed Tottenham and with a game in hand. Spurs have a difficult trip to Wolverhampton to negotiate on Saturday so Liverpool’s top four destiny may drop into their own hands if results go their way.  

The return to fitness of Diogo Jota has come at a perfect time; he provided the assist for Van Dijk to open the scoring against the stubborn Wolves, and his presence takes the pressure off Salah and Darwin Nunez who is still finding his feet in his debut season in the Premier League. 

While their defence has been superb in recent league games Liverpool were totally destroyed by Real Madrid in their Champions League match last week and that will make their fans nervous in another high profile game.  

How can Liverpool stop Casemiro?

Erik Ten Hag is understandably playing down talk of a quadruple but you can’t blame United fans for dreaming of better times again, because the signs are definitely there.  Manchester United have lost just one game in the last 22 in all competitions and lifted their first trophy in six years, winning the Carabao Cup last week. 

They are at SBOTOP odds of 3.00 to win the Europa League, 12.00 to with the Premier League and 3.00 to win the FA Cup… so that would make a nice Acca!   

Marcus Rashford has been in sensational form in front of goal, but United’s player of the season so far is Casemiro, who has proved what a world class operator he is in the centre of midfield. The Brazil star scored the crucial opener in the Carabao Cup final and he has been the perfect box to box player, tough in the tackle and with a superb passing range.  

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Klopp slot in Fabinho alongside Jordan Henderson in an attempt to try to win the midfield battle.     

History

The Red Devils are still in front of the head to head Liverpool vs Manchester United results with 33 wins to 23 in all competition since 1994.

The two teams met in the third round of this Premier League campaign and Manchester United grabbed an unexpected 2-1 win, after losing their opening two games of the season. Rashford gave a hint of what was to come when he ended a run of 997 minutes without a goal, with the vital second.    

In terms of recent form United have had five wins in the last six games while the hot and cold Liverpool have had three.   

But Anfield can be a fortress on the big occasions. Manchester United have failed to win there on their last seven visits, losing 4-0 last season and, with a home record of eight wins, three draws and a single defeat the Reds have been strong again in front of their own fans.  

Betting Tip

At odds of 2.26 Liverpool are the favourites to win this game with the visitors at 2.58.  A draw at a price of 1-1 is priced at 5.80; but I just give the Mersey Reds the edge courtesy of home advantage and renewed hunger.

 

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