Paul Higham previews Sunday's big game at Anfield where Man Utd hope to end Liverpool's amazing unbeaten run.
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1pt Liverpool to win to nil at 6/4
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Liverpool v Manchester United
- 1630 GMT kick-off on Sky Sports Premier League
This is where it gets really interesting for Liverpool and what looks like a relentless march towards a first Premier League title - but wouldn't Man Utd just love to throw a spanner in the works, even if it only delays the inevitable.
There's a widening chasm between these two fierce old rivals with things heading towards a complete role reversal from the Sir Alex Ferguson days when United regularly conquered England and Europe and Liverpool’s best hope was to merely stop them from winning.
Now it’s Liverpool, the European and world champions, who sit on a massive 14-point lead with one hand seemingly on the title, who can really stick the boot into the Red Devils by opening up a 30-point gap between the two with a victory at Anfield.
The gap has never been bigger, and neither has United’s price for victory on Merseyside with them a whopping 7/1 to inflict a first league defeat of the season on Jurgen Klopp’s troops.
They’re already the first, and so far only, team to take league points off them this season, which in itself is a ridiculous statement halfway through January, and if there is a recipe for success against the Reds then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer certainly has some of the ingredients.
He’s got two draws now against Liverpool and can claim to have a blueprint for again frustrating the league leaders – but he may have shot himself in the foot by playing a labouring Marcus Rashford against Wolves.
Rashford is so key to all that United hope to achieve in this game that he could be the difference between heading back along the M62 with points or not. And, in fact, it’s worth waiting until the team-sheets drop on Sunday before making some of the decisions on this game.
Rashford’s got more opening goals this season than anyone else in the league, and only Mohamed Salah has scored more winners this season. His recent scoring record is top class but without him United may struggle to register.
Liverpool haven’t conceded in six league games, and since Joe Gomez renewed his partnership with Virgil van Dijk in December they’ve looked increasingly sturdy at the back so without Rashford and with possession set to be limited another clean sheet could well be on the cards.
A lot depends on just how United will play, you know what you get from Liverpool these days and in all likelihood they’ll dominate possession and look to prod and probe and get Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson in down the flanks.
A fascinating aspect of the game will therefore come out wide against Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Brandon Williams – two of United’s better performers. Gary Neville's a big fan of left-back Williams and his feisty attitude, but with four bookings in five starts it's clear that the youngster may struggle to keep a lid on his emotions in such a hostile environment.
Going up against Alexander-Arnold and Salah is a tough afternoon in anyone's book so when you can get a stand-out price of 5/2 for him to get a card, that's one avenue to explore along with the results-based markets.
In these, Rashford may make a difference but he looked like he wouldn't be 100 per cent in any case and without him don't expect United to be troubling Alisson too much.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Man United (Sky Bet odds: 6/1)
Best bet: Liverpool to win to nil at 6/4
Key stats
- Since completing a league double over Man Utd in 2013-14, Liverpool have won just one of their 11 Premier League games against the Red Devils (D5 L5).
- Manchester United are winless in their last four away matches against Liverpool in all competitions (D2 L2) since a 1-0 win in January 2016 in the Premier League.
- Liverpool have lost 28 Premier League matches against Manchester United, eight more than against any other club.
- Liverpool will face Manchester United at Anfield for a league game starting the day top of the table for the first time since September 1990, winning 4-0 under Kenny Dalglish.
- Among the 31 teams Jürgen Klopp has faced 10 or more times during his managerial career, his worst win ratio is against Manchester United (20% - P10 W2 D6 L2).
- Manchester United have lost their last two away Premier League games on Merseyside against Liverpool and Everton; they haven’t lost three in a row in the top-flight since April 1979.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 38 Premier League games (W33 D5), the third longest such run in the competition’s history. The two longer runs (Arsenal 49, Chelsea 40) were both ended by Manchester United, but in games that took place at Old Trafford.
- Liverpool have scored in all 21 of their Premier League games so far this season – the last side to score in each of their first 22 games of a season in the competition were Arsenal in 2001-02, who scored in all 38 games in a title-winning term.
- Coming into this weekend’s matches, no player has scored the opening goal in more different Premier League games this season than Man Utd’s Marcus Rashford (6). Rashford has also scored what proved to be the winning goal five times this term, with only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah netting more winners (6).
- Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood has scored four Premier League goals this season – the last teenager to net more in a single campaign in the competition was Marcus Rashford in 2016-17 (5).
Odds correct as of 1400 GMT on 17/01/20
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