Premier League: Can Red Devils Dance to the Mersey Beat?

Liverpool vs Manchester United

It’s one of the Premier League’s most watched games and, when Liverpool host Manchester United on Sunday, fans world wide will be on the edge of their seats.

These are two titans of the English game but the moods could hardly be different as they approach the North West’s biggest derby. Liverpool come into the game top of the Premier League, but their visitors have endured a horrible week and are ten points off the pace in sixth place.        

Manchester United were in Champions League action in midweek, going out of the competition with a whimper in a home defeat to FC Bayern while Liverpool lost a dead Europa League rubber away to Union Saint-Gilloise.    

The odds are pointing directly at a home win, at a price of 1.27, so is there any hope for the Red Devils?   

Talking Points

Rested Salah ready to go Liverpool

With 11 league goals and seven assists Mo Salah is, once again, Liverpool’s best player and most prolific goal scorer. Head coach Jurgen Klopp left the Egyptian at home for the Europa League match with the Belgian Pro League side and he blooded a few squad players for the match. Another star left at home was midfield ace Alexis MacAllister but the Argentine World Cup winner is unlikely to be fit to face the Red Devils. He picked up a knee injury during the win over Sheffield United last week and is struggling to recover in time: “It’s a bit more tricky than we thought,” said Klopp. “The other boy stepped on his knee and the stud went through the muscle to the bone.”

Ouch! 

Even though Liverpool topped their Europa League group, fans were annoyed by the way their second string lost to the Belgians as Mohamed Amoura looked suspiciously offside when he put the hosts in front. But a loss is a loss and any Liverpool team never likes to lose. According to the very latest Premier League 2023 betting odds, the Reds have come into second favourites to win the title at odds of 4.00 and slightly ahead of Arsenal at 4.30 who face Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend. A win over their fierce rivals will keep the Reds on top.

United need a reset… or a clearout

At times this season Manchester United’s Premier League 2023 results haven’t been that bad, with nine wins from 16 games. But their victories have largely come against bottom half sides while they have lost to Newcastle United, Manchester City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Arsenal.      

Living just 20 miles from Old Trafford I have mates who support Manchester United, including my SBOTOP writing pal James; and none of them are looking forward to this match. Last week’s humiliating loss at home to Bournemouth was a low point for Red Devils fans and something needs to be done. Manager Erik Ten Hag is coming under increasing pressure to find the right combination but there are a number of players who seem to have lost direction this season. None of Marcus Rashford , Anthony Martial or Jadon Sancho have covered themselves with glory, and this week Brazil star Casemiro has said he is ready to move on.

Summer recruit Rasmus Hojlund has done well in Europe, scoring five goals, but he is yet to score in the Premier League and is struggling to link up with Antony. Keeper Andre Onana has dropped some howlers while United’s defence is far from settled. 

Inconsistency has dogged the Red Devils and the problems are lining up for Ten Hag, and I suspect things will get worse before they get better.  

History

These games are never dull and five of the last six meetings have yielded four goals or more, with Liverpool winning four to United’s two. The Red Devils won this game at Old Trafford 4-0 in a friendly in 2022. But in league games Klopp’s team has handed out some severe beatings, 5-0 in 2021, 4-0 in 2022 and 7-0 in March this year as Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Salah each scored a brace, Roberto Firmino scoring the seventh

Liverpool have won all seven of their home league games while Manchester United have won four and lost three of their away games. And with four wins, one draw and the defeat away to Saint Gilloise, Liverpool’s recent form is much stronger than the Red Devils who have won two, drawn one and lost three.   

Betting Tip

Is there a case for a United win at odds of 6.76 or even a draw at 5.32? Of course there is and I can’t decide which set of Red Devils will rock up at Anfield. I think they will either, rise to the occasion and fight for a result, or they will take a spanking. So, for a score line I would go for 2-2 at a price of 17.32 or a 4-0 home win at 13.48.

I’m afraid, for United fans, that the bad news will come and the value, on balance, is for the Kop be celebrating long into the night.     

 

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