Liverpool versus Manchester United. A fixture that’s witnessed intense, historic rivalry for decades and is the battle of the two most decorated clubs in England.
This weekend, Erik ten Hag’s team travels to Anfield with hope rather than confidence as they take on Jurgen Klopp’s top-of-the-table side on Sunday afternoon. Losing this game is simply not an option, and every fan in the stadium or in front of the television will be kicking each ball with their side.
Liverpool to win – 1/3 on SkyBet
Liverpool –1 handicap – 5/6 on SkyBet
Liverpool to win to nil – 15/8 on SkyBet
These odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.
The first Liverpool versus Manchester United meeting of the season is set to be a game dominated by one side only, and it is difficult to see it being the team that lost this exact fixture last season by an embarrassing 7-0 scoreline. The Red Devils faithful will be praying that their side show more of a fight this time around, however, if you do fancy the hosts repeating that feat, they are priced at 125/1 to do so on SkyBet.
Man Utd vs Liverpool's most DRAMATIC dismissals! 🟥😳 pic.twitter.com/8zGV38Cycl
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 14, 2023
Liverpool
After completely reconstructing his midfield in the summer, Klopp will be thrilled with the way his new acquisitions have adapted to life in Merseyside. Dominik Szoboslai, Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch were all brought in, with each midfielder playing a crucial role in Liverpool’s dominance domestically and in Europe.
The Reds have featured in 23 matches across all competitions this season, winning a whopping 74% of those and losing only twice! This superb record has put Liverpool at the top of UEFA Europa League Group A and first in the Premier League table, one point above Arsenal.
Their form in the English top-flight, which sees them lead the way, has been almost flawless, with their only defeat coming away to Tottenham Hotspur in that crazy game where Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were both handed red cards. Most of Liverpool’s points have been collected at Anfield, winning all seven of their home matches this campaign. A fortress for the Reds over the last few years, and this season in particular.
The majority of Liverpool’s success this season has been due to their incredible output in the final third, scoring an average of 2.25 goals per match, the second-highest record in the Premier League. Klopp’s relentless Reds have also conceded the joint fewest number of goals this season, 15, which averages to 0.94 per match. Mohammed Salah has proved he is one of the best attackers in the world once again this season, scoring 11 goals and registering seven assists in the Premier League already. The Egyptian to score anytime is priced at 5/6 on SkyBet.
This weekend, Liverpool will enjoy most of the possession, yet Klopp will demand that they come out flying from the very first whistle. Manchester United have conceded numerous goals from crosses and mainly cut-backs this season, which is a weakness that the Reds will target and thrive in, especially with the quality of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohammed Salah on the right. Klopp will also ensure that his midfielders crash the box to get onto these crosses, while also providing movement in between the centre-back and full-back when United are sitting in their inevitable low block.
Liverpool will look to use their signature high press in an attempt to smother United, but they must be wary of a long ball from Andre Onana potentially catching them out.
Manchester United
Following an impressive first campaign as Manchester United boss, which saw the Red Devils qualify for the Champions League and win the EFL Cup, Erik ten Hag’s team seems to have lost their identity, system, and confidence.
To sum up United’s season in short, there are only three teams across Europe that have lost more games this season than the Red Devils: Burnley, Union Berlin, and Almeria. Four of the 12 defeats that United have suffered this season came in Champions League Group A, which they were predicted to progress through, not finish rock bottom like they did.
Despite this, Ten Hag’s side are somehow sixth in the Premier League with 27 points, winning nine games, losing seven, and drawing none. They have been a team that hasn’t been convincing in the slightest, and when they do put on a performance with glimpses of development, they are met with a disastrous result in the following fixture. We saw this last week when United destroyed Chelsea and went on to lose 3-0 to Bournemouth at Old Trafford last Saturday.
Even though Onana has the joint most clean sheets and United have only conceded 21 goals in 16 matches in the league, they have been extremely vulnerable in transition and lucky in almost every game this season. But the Duch manager's biggest issue has been finding a way to unlock the opposition, with his side only netting 18 goals this season, half of Liverpool’s tally. Manchester United also haven't scored at Anfield since 2018 and have lost three of their four away games this season, which is why Liverpool to win to nil at 15/8 holds good value.
With United giving away far too many chances and their attack struggling to perform, Ten Hag will inevitably opt for a compact low-block that looks to box off the central areas. This will see the visitors endure long spells without the ball, and with Liverpool’s immense counter-press, you have to worry whether they will be able to retain the ball at all. Instructing the fullbacks to be aggressive on the Liverpool wingers may be the best way to stop the host's attack at the source.
From an attacking perspective, Rasmus Hojlund will have a huge role to play, as he will often be used as the out ball via the centre-backs and Onana. The Dane was bullied in the week versus Bayern, and Liverpool have very similar defenders who are mobile and physical. The only way United can get anything from this game is on the break, especially considering their only creative outlet, Bruno Fernandes, is suspended.
Premier League 
