Manchester United’s recent record at Anfield has been terrible and Liverpool need to go into the game with confidence. The biggest testament to Liverpool’s recent dominance over Manchester United is the pre-match advert that ends with the club’s most watched game in football.
Broadcasters Sky Sports were recently faced with the choice of having to interrupt Liverpool’s celebrations – from Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker, Darwin Nunes, Luis Diaz and even Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino – to capture the action from Balancing United.
Those in charge had no choice. United’s last goal at Anfield came five years ago when Jesse Lingard scored in a 3-1 defeat. It was December 2018 and it was Jose Mourinho’s last game as Manchester United manager.
It was a complete disaster for the Red Devils at Anfield, who won 1-0 in Jurgen Klopp’s first game under Louis van Gaal the following month, eight years ago.At the time, Klopp had only been in action for a few months and Mamadou Sakho formed a defensive line with Kolo Toure and brought on Stephen Caulker as an emergency striker.
It is no exaggeration to say that a lot has changed since then. Especially in regards to the power shift between two of the most successful clubs in English football. Liverpool’s main rival in Manchester later became Manchester City, which could not have been more embarrassing for United.
Rarely has the gap been so stark and powerful, especially in the Premier League era, and Liverpool’s attempts to take on their historic rivals this century certainly did not go in Liverpool’s favor as they were accelerated before the arrival to Klopp in 2015.
A 7-0 defeat at Anfield in March was not much of a difference between the two teams, but a 4-0 defeat in April 2022 saw the Liverpool side manage their squads well, achieving unprecedented success. 4. United have had a difficult season, losing 11 times in all competitions, including seven in the Premier League.
Erik Ten Hag faces serious questions over who will have the power to bail him out if the worst happens at Anfield this weekend. There appears to be a power vacuum at the top of the club, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe expecting a 25% stake in the club, including final say over its football operations, approved by the club’s current owners, the Glazers.
The Old Trafford tree, also known as the Ten Hag, may now be in a safe place.But another poor performance on Merseyside will add to the pressure on the Dutchman and there will be no quarters for Klopp’s Liverpool, despite the manager’s intention to rule out another walk in the park this weekend.
Klopp stressed that Sunday’s game was not a foregone conclusion and that the meeting with Manchester United should never be seen as such. Clearly, the Reds manager has a lot to say. United will also go into the game against a star-studded side lacking in confidence, against a side that have conceded 11 overs in their last two outings.
With a 100% home record as the Premier League leaders heading into the weekend, it’s understandable why neutral sides give Ten Hag’s men so few chances. In some ways, isn’t it obvious that Klopp will win again on Sunday? This could be a source of concern among fans who don’t really believe in the game.
Despite Liverpool’s 50-year absence from the famous old ground, United failed to prove they could help the hosts. With seven defeats in their opening 16 league games, United’s overall form is well below their form at Ten Haag last season, but what’s worse for the Red Devils is that some of their games are away
The weekend visitors only managed one-sided first-half wins at Fulham this season, but few victories reflected the Ten Hag’s preferred style of play or tactical philosophy.
