Tomorrow sees one of the most important fixtures in the club’s calendar this season with them welcoming first-placed Manchester United to Anfield in what will be an early title-deciding game with Liverpool looking to retain their league title.
Liverpool have had a tough run of form as of late, with them only managing two wins in their last five games, with 2 draws and most recently a 1-0 loss to Southampton. They did secure a win in the FA Cup third round against a youthful Aston Villa side which hopefully may have set them up well for a better run of form, starting with tomorrow’s game against the Red Devils.
United have a good run of form in the league lately, with four wins and one draw from their last five Premier League games, with one player, in particular, firing the good form for the club in Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who has helped to revolutionise the United attack over the past year, aiding to their good form over the calendar year.
So, with the game just around the corner and pressure building on both sides to make a statement – what can we expect from the match?
Can Liverpool beat Manchester United?
Yes
No
Player to watch out for – Manchester United, Bruno Fernandes
A bit of a no-brainer I suppose but Bruno Fernandes has been the player to watch out for at United ever since he joined them last January. This season has seen the midfielder produce 11 goals and 7 assists after just 17 appearances in the league, proving the biggest threat going forward for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, contributing to 52.94% of the club’s 34 goals in the league this season.
Without Fernandes, United would be nowhere near the top spot and the Reds will no doubt be identifying him as the biggest threat to the backline, especially with the absences in defence for the Reds with them possessing only one senior centre-back in Joel Matip, who is still a doubt for the game tomorrow.
If Liverpool are looking to come out of tomorrow’s game on top then keeping Fernandes at bay will be the key to that – with the midfielder’s creativity and contribution to United’s goals so important that by nullifying him, you essentially cut United’s chances going forward in half.
Player to watch out for – Liverpool, Thiago
I really feel we may see a big performance from Thiago if he starts tomorrow afternoon, especially given the midfield battle that can help to minimise Bruno Fernandes and his influence going forward for the Red Devils. In previous seasons at Bayern Munich, Thiago had done a great job in cutting down the action in midfield – with him averaging more than 2 tackles and 2 interceptions during multiple seasons in the Bundesliga.
With Thiago playing in the holding role, it will give Jordan Henderson a chance to return to the right side of central midfield which will hopefully allow Trent Alexander-Arnold to return to his best form with that further amount of cover in defence that Henderson usually covers when Trent is in the attack.
If he does start tomorrow, be prepared for a masterclass in my eyes and hopefully help us towards a big win against our long time rivals.
Score Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Manchester United
I have big hopes that the club will produce a big performance in a big game tomorrow, especially given the importance and the fact that more of our best players are returning from injury and have had a good break away from games to rest and recover ahead of the fixture.
Expect goals from any of our coveted front-three, with Sadio Mané and Mo Salah especially – the pair scored during our win over Villa and hopefully in training have been able to find their rhythm again, so let’s see what the pair can produce against United.