The two most successful English teams-Manchester United and Liverpool would be going head-to-head tomorrow in the Premier League in what no doubt is the headline fixture of the weekend. Both sides are coming to this fixture with contrasting results in the league. While The Reds would be boosted by their 5-0 walloping of Burnley, The Red Devils would need to put behind their 4-2 loss to Leicester City as another loss would not only further dent their ambition of a first post Alex Ferguson’s league title but a loss would further question Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s ability to lead United to promise land. Interestingly, both sides recorded a 3-2-win midweek, in their Champions League campaign, a result which should lift the spirit of United going into tomorrow’s encounter
With just a point from their last three matches, Manchester United would be hoping to get back to winning ways as Solskjaer side welcome unwanted guest-Liverpool to Old Trafford in a clash of the titans.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are second on the log with 18 points and are yet to taste defeat in the eight weeks old league, while their host-Manchester United are placed sixth with 14 points and another defeat would see them further behind their major title rivals.
Two of the world’s top attackers will collide in a clash of the titans at Old Trafford this afternoon, as Manchester United play host to Liverpool.
The Red Devils have dropped to sixth in the table amid their poor run of form, while Klopp’s side find themselves one point adrift of leaders Chelsea.
Champions League nights and Cristiano Ronldo, there is hardly any better combination in football. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner literally rose head and shoulders above the rest to save United’s bacon in a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over Atalanta in midweek.
However, as memorable as their night at Old Trafford was, United’s journey to the King Power last weekend to face Leicester City was anything but a disaster, as Patson Daka, Youri Tielemans, Jamie Vardy and Caglar Soyuncu condemned the Red Devils to their second defeat from three Premier League outings.
The pressure continues to pile on the shoulders of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is said to retain the faith of the Red Devils board for the time being, but such struggles after welcoming Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane to the club have left more questions needing to be answered.¯
With only one point from the last nine on offer in the Premier League, sixth-placed United are five points adrift of leaders Chelsea and could very well drop further down the rankings depending on what transpires before the Reds pay a visit to the Theatre of Dreams.
Not since October 2019 have Man United gone four games without a win in the top flight, but the Red Devils only have two victories to boast of from their last seven top-flight encounters at Old Trafford, where Liverpool will aim to condemn them to a 10th home clash without a clean sheet in the Premier League.
First, Manchester City, then Watford, then Atletico Madrid’s defence were powerless to stop Mohamed Salah with the ball glued to his feet, as the Egyptian wing king continued to stake his claim as the best in the world with yet another stunning solo effort at the Wanda Metropolitano – although James Milner’s deflection was a significant help.
Before running out 3-2 winners in the Spanish capital, Liverpool gave Claudio Ranieri a harsh welcome back to life in the Premier League with a five-star performance against Watford.
Still unbeaten in all competitions since the season commenced, second-placed Liverpool are one point behind leaders Chelsea at the time of writing and are the only team in the top flight without a single defeat to show from their opening eight matches.
Tuesday’s success over Atletico also marked the ninth game in a row that Klopp’s side have chalked up at least two goals – with the Salah-Firmino-Mane triumvirate proving just as effective as it was four years ago and the Reds have won nine and drawn two of their last 11 away matches in the division since a 3-1 defeat to Leicester City back in February.
Furthermore, Liverpool’s 18-game unbeaten league run is currently the longest in the top four English divisions, and their thrilling 4-2 success at Old Trafford last term represented their sixth Premier League game without defeat against United, who have certainly not fortified the Theatre of Dreams from against attacks from the rampant Liverpool machine.
Meanwhile, third meets fourth at the Amex Stadium today, as Brighton & Hove Albion play host to Manchester City on the South Coast.
The Seagulls were held to a goalless stalemate by basement side Norwich City last time out, while the champions eased to a comprehensive 2-0 success over Burnley.
While it may be too early to determine whether Brighton’s fast start to the season is slowly petering out, the Seagulls’ dominance has turned to draws in recent weeks, the latest of which came against bottom-of-the-table Norwich City.
Despite bossing the ball with 65 per cent possession, there was no way through for Graham Potter’s men at Carrow Road, with that result representing their third one-pointer in a row following previous stalemates with Crystal Palace and Arsenal.
However, with 11 points from the last 15 on offer under their belts during a five-game unbeaten league run, the high-flying Seagulls remain in the top four of the rankings, although they are now only above Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference.
Brighton may have only chalked up eight goals at the correct end of the pitch so far – the fewest out of any side in the top half – but only Chelsea and City have shipped fewer than their five at the other end, as Potter’s well-coached side finally produce the results that their performances have so often warranted.
The Seagulls have also suffered just one defeat in their last nine Premier League battles on home soil, but with a league-high 22 yellow cards already this term, indiscipline could prove fatal against the rampant champions.
Continuing their surge up the rankings following the international break, Man City barely needed to get out of second gear to sink Burnley at the Etihad last time out, with Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne both making the net ripple on home soil in gameweek eight.
Pep Guardiola’s side were expected to face a much sterner test against Club Brugge in the Champions League, but the Belgian champions’ resilience was broken in a storming 5-1 win for the English champions.
On the pitch, Man City have certainly consigned their opening-day defeat to Tottenham Hotspur to history – taking 17 points from the last 21 on offer in the division and they now occupy third spot in the rankings behind Liverpool and leaders Chelsea.
With only three goals conceded – all of which have come on the road – City’s defensive record is unsurprisingly the joint-best alongside Chelsea, although the travelling party will need no reminding of what happened during their most recent trip to the Amex.
Indeed, Brighton marched to a remarkable 3-2 win on the South Coast after recovering from going two goals behind back in May, although City have won the other seven Premier League meetings between the two teams and have never failed to score more than twice at the Amex in that time.
