Liverpool and Manchester United have played well over 200 times in their illustrious histories so it is not a shock to learn that there have been some standout players that have thrived in this fixture. However, some players were not as successful as you might think.
In this article we are going to rank the four best Liverpool players to perform well against the Red Devils. This will be a cumulative ranking list so it will take into account every match they played against United and how they did.
Simply playing against them for Liverpool a lot will not be enough to put you on the list. Without further ado, here we go.
4. John Barnes – 6 goals in 18 appearances
Barnes took the field for Liverpool 18 times and his return of one goal every three matches is not bad considering he spent a lot of his time out on the wing.
He was an electrifying player to watch and he could give defenses fits on his best days. He also spread his goals across six different matches in the rivalry. Liverpool won three and lost two when he scored against United.
His final goal as a Liverpool player came against Manchester United in a 3-1 defeat. His positional versatility was always a key weapon for the Reds to utilize.
3. Steven Gerrard – 9 goals in 35 appearances
Gerrard is another player that spread his goal tally across matches as he never registered a brace. Of his nine goals against United, four of them came from the penalty spot. As a result, that hurt him a bit in the rankings.
However, one of the nine was this banger that is still a beauty to watch:
In addition to scoring, he also provided five assists against our bitter rivals which helped him keep a spot in these rankings. Despite his longevity, he was still a critical player in a lot of his 35 matches played.
2. Robbie Fowler – 6 goals in 14 appearances
Fowler is one of the best goalscorers in the history of this great club and early on in his Liverpool career he showed those scoring chops more than once. He had a brace in both Premier League meetings between these two in the 1995/96 season.
Although one would think he should have scored more against United in a Liverpool shirt, his 6 goals are the fourth most scored by a Liverpool player against United.
However, it was his playing style that made him so difficult in general to defend and his partnerships with Ian Rush and Michael Owen amplified the Liverpool attack.
1. Mohamed Salah – 13 goals in 14 appearances
This one was easy, so very easy. Salah has dominated Manchester United since he signed for Liverpool.
Salah has three different matches of two goals and a hattrick against Manchester United. He has been ruthless. In addition he has also given four assists in those matches.
A closer look will show he did not register a goal or an assist in his first four meetings against United before he has exploded to the numbers he has now. In the historic 7-0 thumping at Anfield in March 2023, Salah scored twice and also had two assists.
However, his hattrick in the 5-0 win might be his best performance. He is clear of anyone on this list.
