5 janvier. 18h30. Liverpool. Anfield Stadium
English Premier League. Day 20
Liverpool vs Manchester United
Suspended: None
Injured: Joe Gomez – Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Victor Lindelof
Liverpool vs Manchester United : Cotes des Bookmakers
There is palpable concern in the red part of Manchester. Ahead of the clash against Liverpool, Red Devils supporters are understandably concerned about the possibility of another humiliating defeat, reminiscent of the 0-7 correction suffered almost two years ago.
Liverpool have an impressive unbeaten home run in this encounter, stretching to eight matches. In fact, the Merseysiders have only lost one of their last thirteen Premier League clashes against Manchester United. In the first leg, Arne Slot’s team decisively defeated the Red Devils 3-0 at Old Trafford, and now the Dutch coach has the opportunity to become only the second manager in the club’s history to beat their fierce rivals twice in its first season.
Liverpool
Arne Slot’s team is heading towards the championship title. After a slight misstep in early December, with draws against Newcastle and Fulham, the Reds got back on track with three wins in the Premier League, scoring a total of 14 goals while conceding just 4. In the previous round, Liverpool humiliated West Ham with a 5-0 away win, consolidating their lead at the top of the table. Their advantage over the nearest rival has increased to six points, and they still have a game in hand.
Mohamed Salah was once again in great form at the London Stadium, contributing a goal and two assists to reach another unique achievement. The match against West Ham marked the eighth time this season that the Liverpool striker has scored and provided an assist in the same match. No other player in Premier League history has achieved this feat in more than seven games, and Salah still has half the season to increase his tally.
In total, Salah has already amassed 30 goal contributions this season (17 goals and 13 assists), accounting for over 66% of Liverpool’s total offensive contributions. Looking towards the upcoming clash against Manchester United, it is worth noting that the Red Devils are Salah’s preferred opponents. The striker has scored more goals against Manchester United than against any other team in his career, with an impressive tally of 15 goals, as well as six assists.
Manchester United
While Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot are breaking records, Manchester United and Ruben Amorim are unfortunately setting negative records. The Red Devils have lost five of their last six Premier League games. The team finished 2024 in fourteenth place in the table, just seven points above the relegation zone. “Yes, we are fighting to avoid relegation in the Premier League. This is one of the most difficult times in the history of Manchester United, and we must assess the current situation honestly,” Ruben Amorim said in an interview with at Sky Sports after the home defeat against Newcastle (0-2).
Interestingly, Portugal becomes the first Manchester United manager since 2015 to oversee three consecutive league defeats. Additionally, the Red Devils suffered their first run of three home defeats at Old Trafford since February 1979. This is not an exhaustive list of unfortunate events for Manchester United, who also lost six games in a single month for the first time since September 1930. The 18 goals conceded throughout December in all competitions mark their worst performance in more than 60 years. The last time Manchester United finished a calendar year below fourteenth place was in 1989.
Liverpool vs Manchester United : Composition Prévue
Liverpool vs Manchester United: Author’s Prediction
Despite the ongoing struggles, Ruben Amorim is not inclined to change his preferred formation to 3-4-3. However, the defeat against Newcastle likely served as a crucial lesson for the Portuguese. The Magpies effectively tore apart the experienced but slow midfield duo of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen. As a result, a more mobile combination of Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo is expected in this encounter at Anfield. However, this combination is unlikely to solve all of the team’s problems. My prediction is a Liverpool victory with a handicap of (-1.5).
