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In 2010 when Liverpool was set to face Manchester United, the atmosphere going into this heralded fixture was different. The Reds had a much weaker squad lead by a manager who seemed as unsure of his tactics as the fans, whereas the Red Devils were cruising in England and were one of the biggest powerhouses in Europe. Ten years later, the roles are reversed.
What a shift in power it has been in England, as the two biggest clubs in the country prepare to go face to face with each other yet again. A high-flying Liverpool side will take on an inconsistent Manchester United team. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men will be journeying to Anfield in an attempt to beat their fiercest rivals at a ground where they have not lost in over 50 league games.
Despite Liverpool's record start to a league season (61 points out of a possible 63), Jurgen Klopp will know that he cannot underestimate Sunday's rivals. United are the only team in England this season who have taken points off Liverpool, and after a 4-0 victory against Norwich combined with a 1-0 win against Wolves, the 20-time league champions come into this game with a bit of confidence. Of course, if the visitors are to beat the home team, it will take nothing short of a minor miracle given the form and the quality of this Liverpool squad - however, as football fans very well know, never say never.
In this article, we take a look at three key battles which could affect the outcome of this game as Solskjaer's team prepares to take on Klopp's mighty Reds -
#1 David De Gea vs the Liverpool attack
With all due respect to the Manchester United defence, their latest run of two clean sheets across all competitions will inspire no confidence when it comes to facing England's most potent attack. The likes of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah are world-class forwards who can find the back of the net with their eyes closed, and they will be relishing having a go at a defence which has looked weak for the most part this season.
However, not all is lost for the Red Devils. There are certain players who elevate their game in certain fixtures, and on that particular day, they are nigh unstoppable. For Manchester United against Liverpool over the past few years, David De Gea has been that player.
Liverpool fans will be well aware of how good the Spaniard is. Since the start of 2013, De Gea has kept six clean sheets against the current European champions, and he has delivered spectacular performances almost every single time in this fixture. The likes of Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho, Mane and Salah have all been kept quiet on quite a few occasions by the amazing reflexes and point-blank saves of De Gea.
The former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper may not be as good as he was from 2013 to 2018, but he is a man who steps up the plate more often than not. Salah and Co. might get past an inconsistent defence, but it will all come down to whether or not they can get the better of De Gea on that particular day.
#2 The fight for midfield supremacy
You have to feel a bit sorry for Solskjaer. It is an indisputable fact that the manager has not got his tactics right on many occasions and needs to motivate his squad a bit more, but the injuries to his squad have not helped Ole's case. Manchester United's bright young star Scott McTominay and star midfielder Paul Pogba are both absent for this game (and they have been for quite a while), and it will be an uphill task for the visitors to win the midfield battle on the day with the likes of Andreas Pereira and Fred.
Liverpool's midfield may not be the most creative or have the biggest of stars in world football, but they are efficient and get the job done. Georginio Wijnaldum is perhaps the best midfielder in the world in getting out of tight spaces and holding the ball in the middle of the park, whereas Jordan Henderson's long balls and the continuous press is a nuisance to the opposition. United attack primarily on the counter against big teams, so they should not have a problem giving up the bulk of possession, but they do need to stop Liverpool from dominating the spaces in the middle of the park and getting those killer passes in.
Nemanja Matic, Fred, and Pereira will need to work non-stop to deny Liverpool's midfield the space and freedom in the middle of the park. As such, it will be interesting to see how Solskjaer positions his midfield to contain Liverpool's dynamic pressing and space exploitation.
#3 Marcus Rashford vs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez
There were doubts regarding his inconsistency and poor decision-making at the beginning of this season, but Marcus Rashford's goalscoring form has shut down all of his detractors. With 14 goals and 4 assists in 22 Premier League appearances so far this campaign, Rashford has been Manchester United's best player over the past few months and he will have to play a big role this weekend if his team are to cause an upset.
The striker picked up an unfortunate back injury in the midweek against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup, but the manager hopes he should be fit for this North-West derby. Rashford has a good record against Liverpool in the Premier League, as he has previously scored a brace against them and he also found the back of the net at Old Trafford earlier this season when the Reds were held by the Red Devils.
Of course, even if Rashford starts, he will be going up against one of the best defences in Europe. The centre-back partnership of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez have not conceded a goal in the past six league games, and the Liverpool defence as a whole is back to its best. However, the Reds were almost caught out against Spurs last weekend as the Son Heung-Ming and Giovani Lo Celso could have scored if not for some woeful finishing. The opportunistic Rashford will be relishing a challenge against Van Dijk and Gomez this weekend, and this battle will be key if the visitors are to get anything from this game.
