Liverpool heads back to Old Trafford on Sunday seeking redemption, understanding that anything less than a victory won’t suffice as Manchester United aims to disrupt their arch-rivals’ Premier League title aspirations.
Both teams delivered an electrifying encounter in the FA Cup last month, with United clinching a dramatic win to halt Jurgen Klopp’s quadruple dreams and inject new life into their season.
In the latest chapter of this storied rivalry, Erik ten Hag finds himself under pressure, while Premier League leaders Liverpool aim to bid farewell to their manager in style in his final season.
Despite facing speculation about his future, Ten Hag remains resolute about his position at United, expressing confidence in his role moving forward.
“I don’t have any doubts,” Ten Hag affirmed. “I’m just focusing on my job, focusing on this process, on this project. I really love to be here, I’m enjoying it. For me, it’s a challenge.”
United’s recent record against Liverpool has been mixed, with only one win in their last 11 Premier League encounters. However, they did manage to secure a goalless draw at Anfield earlier in the season.
Liverpool, on the other hand, has been relentless in their pursuit of goals, with their last failure to score against United in a league match dating back to the 2007-08 campaign.
While United’s home form against Liverpool has been inconsistent, they secured a 2-1 victory in last season’s corresponding fixture, marking Ten Hag’s first Premier League triumph.
As both teams gear up for this highly anticipated clash, expect an intense battle at Old Trafford as United looks to play spoiler to Liverpool’s title ambitions.
Head-To-Head Stats
Having gone unbeaten through their first five league games of 2024 (four wins, one draw), United have only won one of their last five (one draw, three defeats), beating Everton 2-0 last month.
Thursday’s defeat was Man United’s 12th in the Premier League this season. They have never suffered more in a single campaign in the competition, also losing 12 times in 2013/14 and 2021/22.
Liverpool have won six of their last seven away Premier League matches (one defeat). Their previous six road victories in the competition came throughout 19 games (seven draws, six defeats).
The Reds have also scored in 26 consecutive away games across all competitions, only once enjoying a longer run in their history, netting on 28 straight road trips between January and December 2021.
Betting Tips
According to Opta Power Rankings, across 10,000 match simulations conducted by the Opta supercomputer ahead of kick-off, Liverpool took a crucial three points in 44.0% of scenarios.
That does mean Man United are given a 56.0% chance of denting Liverpool’s title hopes by taking something from the game, winning in 27.9% of simulations and earning a draw in 28.1%.
Opta put Liverpool’s chances of winning the Premier League title at 45.0%, making them clear favourites ahead of City (33.6%) and Arsenal (21.4%).
Man United have seen their hopes of a top-four finish – which would guarantee UEFA Champions League qualification – drop to just 0.6%. They are seen as more likely to finish in the bottom half (1.1%) than the top four, but sixth (52.2%) remains their most common position in our projections.
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