The Premier League’s biggest rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool is set to take place at Anfield this weekend, with the two most successful English clubs clashing.
This fixture is the biggest in the English football league calendar, and it is the 180th such league meeting between the two most successful English clubs. Only nine fixtures have been more commonly played in EFL history.
Liverpool’s manager Jürgen Klopp will lead his team against Manchester United, and they are unbeaten in their last six league games at home against the Red Devils (W3 D3) since a 1-0 defeat in January 2016. This is Liverpool’s longest run without defeat against Man Utd at home since a nine-game sequence between 1970 and 1979.
In all competitions, Liverpool have conceded just once in their last seven home games against the Red Devils, including three clean sheets in a row most recently. If they keep another clean sheet in this game, they will have shutout Man Utd in four successive meetings at Anfield for the first time since 1992.
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Klopp has had 15 Premier League meetings with Manchester United, three more than any other Liverpool boss in the PL era. It will come as little surprise that a win in this match would see Klopp victorious against Man Utd more often than any other Reds’ boss – a record he currently shares with Gérard Houllier (five wins).
No team has won away at Anfield in the Premier League more often than Manchester United (12). They are looking to complete the home/away league double over Liverpool for the ninth time in Premier League history in this match, having defeated the Merseyside side 2-1 at Old Trafford in August.
They haven’t achieved this in the competition since winning against Liverpool at both Anfield and Old Trafford in 2015-16.
Since the resumption of Premier League football following the 2022 FIFA World Cup, no side has averaged more points in the competition than Man Utd (2.30). The Red Devils have lost just one of their last 11 games – one of these coming pre-World Cup, 10 after – with eight wins and two draws. The only defeat in this run was a late 3-2 loss to Arsenal in London in January.
Man United’s current scoring run of 15 successive Premier League games is the longest in the competition and their longest such run of 17 matches between February and October 2020.
After a terrible run of winning one point in four games (D1 L3) to kick off 2023 in the Premier League, Liverpool’s midweek win over Wolves means that they are now unbeaten in four games and have kept a clean sheet in each match (W3 D1).
Should Liverpool avoid defeat in this game, it’ll be their first five-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League this season. Liverpool’s current run of four clean sheets in a row is their best in the Premier League since April 2022 (five in a row).
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Liverpool has lost just one of their last 35 Premier League matches at Anfield (W26 D8 L1), averaging 2.46 points per game on home soil across that period. Their only home defeat in this run came against Leeds United in October 2022 (2-1).
Only bottom-half teams Nottingham Forest (76.0%), West Ham United (73.9%), and Leeds (72.7%) have won a higher proportion of their Premier League points in home matches than Liverpool have so far in 2022-23
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Mohamed Salah
Salah is undoubtedly Liverpool’s key player for their match against Manchester United. He has scored in each of his last five appearances against them, with a total of 10 goals in matches against the Red Devils. Eight of his 10 goals against United have come in the Premier League, making him one of the most dangerous attackers in the competition.
Salah is also on the verge of breaking yet another record, with only one goal away from equaling Robbie Fowler’s record of 128 Premier League goals for Liverpool.
Salah has been instrumental for Liverpool this season, with 29 goal involvements in all competitions (20 goals and nine assists). He is by far Liverpool’s most dangerous attacking threat, with Darwin Núñez and Roberto Firmino the only other players to have reached double figures for goal involvements this season.
With Mane gone, Diaz out injured and Jota having spent much of the season on the sidelines, Salah’s goal threat is even more crucial for Klopp’s team.
Fred
Fred has emerged as a key player for Manchester United this season, showcasing his importance in midfield. Despite Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro often being the center of attention, Fred has become a vital part of the team, displaying his ball-winning qualities and contributing important goals and assists.
He has been involved in seven goals in his last ten appearances and has been one of the most critical players in United’s open-play attacking sequences.
With 6.2 involvements per 90 and only second to Casemiro in terms of tackles, Fred’s contributions have not gone unnoticed by the fans.