Liverpool -v- Manchester United
Premier League
Anfield, Liverpool
Sunday 17 December 2023, KO 16:30 GMT
Manchester United travel to Anfield in the Premier League to face Liverpool on Sunday afternoon. This will be a big match for United, who are out of form, lack desire, determination, ability to win and with a 7-0 thrashing in this fixture last season – this visit will be daunting.
United managed to exit the UEFA Champions League this week, losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich with FC Copenhagen beating Galatasaray 1-0, meaning United finished at the bottom of the group and did not even exit into the UEFA Europa League. United need regeneration and fast.
This season has not carried a single thing from last season and seems like the players have downed tools for the manager – which may or may not be the case. It just seems that way. These ‘professionals’ need to find something and fast or face big problems in the coming weeks.
United – Form, Goals Scored & Assists
Bayern 1-0 L, Bournemouth 3-0 L, Chelsea 2-1 W, Newcastle 1-0 L, Galatasaray 3-3 D, Everton 3-0 W
Goals: 6 – Scott McTominay, 5 – Bruno Fernandes, Rasmus Hojlund, 4 – Casemiro, 3 – Alejandro Garnacho, 2 – Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, 1 – Diogo Dalot, Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Hannibal Mejbri, Raphael Varane
Assists: 5 – Bruno Fernandes, 3 – Marcus Rashford, 2 – Christian Eriksen, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 1 – Casemiro, Diogo Dalot, Jonny Evans, Alejandro Garnacho, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Anthony Martial, Lisandro Martínez, Scott McTominay, Mason Mount, Facundo Pellistri, Luke Shaw
Liverpool – Form, Goals Scored & Assists
USG 2-1 L, Palace 2-1 W, Sheffield 2-0 W, Fulham 4-3 W, LASK 4-0 W, City 1-1 D
Goals: 14 – Mohamed Salah, 8 – Diogo Jota, 7 – Darwin Núñez, 6 – Cody Gakpo, 5 – Luis Díaz, 3 – Dominik Szoboszlai, 2 – Trent Alexander-Arnold, Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch, 1 – Harvey Elliott, Alexis Mac Allister, Jarell Quansah, Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk
Assists: 7 – Mohamed Salah, 6 – Darwin Núñez, 5 – Trent Alexander-Arnold, 3 – Curtis Jones, Kostas Tsimikas, 2 – Joe Gomez, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Virgil van Dijk, 1 – Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo, Cody Gakpo, Jarell Quansah
Previous Meetings & Connections
United and Liverpool have met 62 times in the Premier League. United have won 29 times, drawn 14 times with Liverpool winning 19 times. United have scored 81 goals; winning five penalties, scoring three of them. Liverpool have scored 84 goals; winning seven penalties, scoring five of them.
United and Liverpool have both kept 18 clean sheets in these fixtures. With derbies like this, which are fiery encounters, discipline is an issue. United players have been shown 121 yellow cards and ten red cards with Liverpool players shown 94 yellow cards and seven red cards.
Tom Chorlton, Jackie Sheldon, Tom Miller, Fred Hopkin, Tommy Reid, Ted Savage, Allenby Chilton, Thomas McNulty, Phil Chisnal and Peter Beardsley all played for Liverpool and United before the Premier League was formed. Michael Owen and Paul Ince have played for both teams since.
Team News
Lisandro Martinez (ankle/foot), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Christian Eriksen (knee), Casemiro (thigh) and Amad Diallo (knee) have been ruled out due to injury. Jadon Sancho is still suspended by the club. Bruno Fernandes is suspended because he got his fifth yellow card in the Premier League.
Victor Lindelof (other) has a 50% chance of involvement. Mason Mount (calf/shin/heel), Harry Maguire (groin/hip/pelvic) and Anthony Martial (virus) are unlikely to be involved. However, Luke Shaw (hamstring) and Marcus Rashford (virus) are likely to be involved.
Joel Matip (knee), Thiago Alcantara (groin/hip/pelvic), Andrew Robertson (shoulder), Diogo Jota (other) and Stefan Bajcetic (calf/shin/heel) have all been ruled out of the clash with United on Sunday afternoon. Alexis Mac Allister (knee) has a 50% chance of involvement.
Predicted United Starting XI – 4-2-3-1
Onana;
Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Evans, Shaw;
McTominay, Amrabat;
Antony, Rashford, Garnacho;
Hojlund
Predicted Liverpool Starting XI – 4-3-3
Alisson;
Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, van Dijk, Tsimikas;
Szoboszlai, Endo, Gravenberch;
Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Match Prediction
United are a team out of form with little ability no desire or determination. Granted, they were only beaten 1-0 by Bayern earlier in the week but they were beaten. They showed nothing to get themselves back into the match. It is a shame how this football club has fallen.
Ten Hag has the support of the majority of the supporters of the club and the reaction based part of the fanbase want to see another manager sacked and will hope for it to happen. This is how toxic this fanbase has become. The Glazers will be rubbing their hands together.
They will escape criticism again as the manager will get the blame – not the toxic atmosphere that is this football club and the fact that the club still makes money win, lose or draw. United need to find a way back of the remainder of the season will be a massive problem for them.
Liverpool 3-1 Manchester United
Written by John Walker
