Premier League: Can Red Devils Burn Klopps’ Boys again?

Manchester United vs Liverpool

It’s here again, folks, one of the biggest rivalries in world football, and, this time around, Premier League: Manchester United vs Liverpool has even more spice than usual.

Only three weeks ago, the Red Devils dumped the Merseysiders out of the FA Cup in a seven-goal thriller, and now they could put another spanner in the works if they halt Liverpool’s charge at the top of the league table.

Jurgen Klopp’s men climbed to the summit at the weekend thanks to a hard-earned 2-1 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion, while Manchester United drew away to Brentford to stay solid in sixth.

Both teams are in action on Thursday night, with Liverpool at home to bottom club Sheffield United, while Erik Ten Hag’s United have a tough assignment away to Chelsea.

And then it’s on to the main attraction!

Speaking to supporters around here in the North West of England, it’s a tough call for Red Devils fans when you ask them who they want to win the league. They don’t like Liverpool, that’s for sure, but then they don’t really want to help Manchester City win back-to-back trebles.

Sky Blues manager Pep Guardiola joked that he always supports Manchester United, and that cheeky suggestion that the Red Devils can’t compete with his team must rankle in the red half of the city, particularly after City dismantled fourth-placed Aston Villa on Wednesday night.

But while a few of the home fans may have a tricky dilemma, there will be no doubt in the minds of the players and, when the whistle blows at 3-30pm on Sunday, the roof will come of Old Trafford.

Talking Points

Martinez out again

Manchester United’s defensive woes have been, in no little part, aggravated by the long-term absence of Argentine centre-back Lisandro Martinez.

He missed 22 games between September and January with a foot injury, and then another nine games when he hurt his knee. And now the World Cup winner is sidelined again, this time with a calf injury, and Ten Hag has asked for an internal inquiry into why his injury list is growing rather than shrinking.

With nine Premier League games remaining, Man United are facing a defensive crisis with Martinez and Lindelof injured — Manchester United‘s Lisandro Martinez will be out for at least a month after suffering a calf strain in training

Top-flight footballers are finely tuned machines, and Martinez is one of the very best, but it’s his leadership skills that are missed just as much. And his centre-back partner, Victor Lindelof, captain of Sweden, is out too; he’s picked up a hamstring injury and faces time out.

With wingback Luke Shaw still sidelined, the United defence is seriously depleted, but there is still plenty of experience there with Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, and Raphael Varane ready to step in.

While the Red Devils are likely to come under some pressure, they also have players who can open up the Liverpool back line, and midfield starlet Kobbie Mainoo is sure to be in amongst the Premier League 2024 highlights, while the return of Mason Mount, who scored against Brentford, is another big plus.

And if the creative players can get enough of the ball to striker Rasmus Hojlund, then United might upset Premier League 2024 betting odds and wreck another Mersey weekend.

Liverpool are now title favourites

Arsenal’s steely performance to hold Manchester City to a draw last week made it a perfect Easter weekend for the Reds, and they are, for the first time this season, favourites to lift the title.

Klopp is playing it down, saying: “After we lost to Arsenal, we were not favourites; maybe rightly so; I don’t know and I don’t care. One of the most important things to do to get through this period is to ignore the outside mess because that goes up and down. We have to be professional. We have to be emotional, but in the right way.”

There is no lack of emotion at Anfield in Klopp’s last season, and the travelling Liverpool fans will make themselves heard at Old Trafford. With an attack line-up of Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, and Darwin Nunez, the Reds will get at the United defence, and I suspect they will have too much pace for the likes of Maguire and Evans, but we shall see.

The return of Andrew Robertson comes at a key time too; his defensive skills and attacking flair on the flank make him one of Liverpool’s most important players, and Klopp will be praying the Scot stays fit in the title run-in.

History

United have won 34 to Liverpool’s 24 of these epic meetings over the past three decades. And the most recent match is still a fresh and fond memory for the Red Devils.

When they scored late to make extra time in the FA Cup quarterfinal, United went behind immediately as Harvey Elliot made it 3-2 to Liverpool. But a goal from Marcus Rashford and a late winner from Amad Diallo gave Ten Hag’s men a night to remember.

Both teams come into the game in good form. Before Thursday’s fixtures, Manchester United won three, drew one, and lost two of the last six, while Liverpool won four, drew one, and lost one.