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The biggest game on the current English football calendar will take place when Liverpool welcome Manchester United to Anfield on Sunday.
For the first time in more than a decade, we are witnessing a proper title race involving England’s two most successful clubs. Not since the 2008/09 season have Manchester United and Liverpool faced each other as the top two sides on the Premier League table.
Those were the days when Sir Alex Ferguson was leading Manchester United to a raft of titles. These days though, the wind of success is blowing towards their fierce rivals, and it is Liverpool who are winning all the silverware.
Under Jurgen Klopp, the Reds have won the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup. These successes have put Manchester United in their shadows in recent years.
Even worse, games between the two clubs have also become a bit one-sided, with Manchester United winless in their last four Premier League games against Liverpool.
Manchester United cannot afford to lose against Liverpool
There’s a perception that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men usually bottle it when it matters most. Arguments have been made concerning Manchester United’s four losses in four semi-finals under the Norwegian tactician.
Moreover, the club’s inability to progress from the group stage of the Champions League, despite needing just a point from their last two games, points to a side that falls short on the big stage.
Manchester United cannot afford such disappointing setbacks on Sunday. The Old Trafford giants have been impressive in the league but none of their wins have come against top opposition. They’ve so far failed to beat Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
On the back of such poor form against the big clubs, it is difficult to see how they will beat Liverpool. The silver lining, though, is that Solskjaer’s men are in better form than their bitter rivals and will be looking to prove a point when they travel to Anfield.
Liverpool’s Anfield invincibility
Liverpool may not be at their best currently, but their record at Anfield is just unreal. The Reds haven’t lost at home in 67 games, winning 55 times and drawing 12.
Liverpool’s invincibility at home means that Manchester United face a daunting task this Sunday.
In his pre-match press conference, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer alluded to the fact that it will be a huge upset if his side should defeat Liverpool. He said as quoted by Goal:
“If you look at the last few seasons I think it would be an upset and it would be a shock. Our position at the moment is a product of all the hard work we've done in the training ground and what the players are putting down every single day and we probably deserve to be where we're at the moment."
“I don’t think many would have thought anything but an upset if we went six weeks back and beat Liverpool at Anfield. We’re looking forward to the game and hoping we can cause that upset.”
The Manchester United boss might have been resorting to mind games, but the truth is that his side will be facing their biggest test yet in the Premier League title race when they lock horns with Liverpool on Sunday.
