Premier League: There is No Bigger Game!

Manchester United vs Liverpool

If there is a bigger game in club football, anywhere in the world, I am yet to come across it during 35 years as a fan.

Whether in the old First Division, a cup competition or the Premier League – as will be the case this Sunday at Old Trafford – it matters. It always matters

Manchester United and Liverpool are English football’s two most successful clubs by a distance and their rivalry needs no introduction.

Premier League points and pride are at stake this weekend and both will be fought for with every last sinew.

Talking Points

As it stands, the Merseysiders have the edge.

Not only are they four points clear of the Red Devils but they have been the better team over the last three years – three seasons which has seen them lift a Champions League and league title while United’s barren run has stretched back to 2017.

That time has also signified a shift in momentum, best highlighted by the fact one club has a fairly novice manager in charge, while the other has a more experienced operator at the top level of the European game.

The pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seems to fluctuate week by week but never seems to pass completely.

Indeed, at half-time on Wednesday night – and United 2-0 down at home to Italian side Atalanta in the Champions League – this SBOTOP writer (albeit a biased United fan too) felt his time should be brought to a close.

Yet a stirring second half comeback – overall a 90 minutes which encapsulated the best and worst of United right now – had fans chanting his name, even if there remains a distinct realisation the pressing issues have not gone away.

Can Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo score a goal against Liverpool in their upcoming Premier League match? — Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring a winning header against Atalanta in Champions League

Such an act of escapology has become United’s trademark in the modern game and means another 90 minutes of Premier League highlights await this weekend.

The Norwegian learnt the never-say-die spirit while a player at the club and that appears to be one trait he has brought back to the club as a manager.

While Solskjaer’s United aim for consistency and displays of leadership to add to their undoubted flair, Liverpool look much more like the finished article.

Indeed, the best news their fans will have had leading into this encounter will be the announcement their star player Mo Salah wants to spend the rest of his career at the club.

The 29 year-old Egypt forward has scored 137 goals in 214 games for them since a £34 million move from Roma in 2017, including 12 goals this season.

He is one of the few stellar world class talents in the game right now and the only player – alongside Kevin de Bruyne– with a claim to be at the level of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

While the likes of Ronaldo and Salah are the potential match-winners, the likelihood is the victors on Sunday will be the team which displays the best defensive discipline and organisation.

Man Utd v Liverpool is never dull and, with a strong line-up of stars on both sides, this should be no exception.

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History

I covered both their meetings at Old Trafford last season.

The first was a five-goal FA Cup thriller sealed by the magic of Bruno Fernandes.

The second was a game in which Salah netted the decisive final goal in a 4-2 Liverpool win which helped them gain a Champions League place near the end of the season.

That was their first win at Old Trafford since March 2014 when Liverpool were chasing the title under Brendan Rodgers and United were in free-fall under David Moyes.

Overall, United have won 89 of their meetings in all competitions. Liverpool have 79 successes and there have been 68 draws – that’s as close as you would probably expect for the two dominant forces in English football.