Liverpool maintained their superb run of form in the Premier League with a win over Tottenham last weekend, becoming the first team to record 61 points in probable 63 points after 21 games in Europe’s top five leagues.
They will now face Manchester United on Sunday at Anfield as both managers looks forward to making a statement for their respective clubs.
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, on one hand, looks as though the one who can neutralize Liverpool’s threat in the much-anticipated game. The Norwegian has helped United to 6 outings against the top 6 teams in the EPL this season, recording 3 wins, two draws and just one loss recently (against Arsenal at the Emirates).
From what we’ve seen so far from Manchester United this season, the Red devil’s seem to be getting the job done against the big guns but to put up such amazing performances consistently against the big guns and the”minnows” in EPL has been extremely difficult. Hence the reason they are fifth on the log.
Jurgen Klopp on the other hand since his appointment back in 2015, has only managed to beat Liverpool’s arch-rivals twice in ten meetings. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer put an end to their winning streak the last time the fiercest rivals faced at Old Trafford with a 1-1 draw.
However, as we inch closer to yet another Super Sunday in the Premier League, Liverpool apparently is the favorite in every sphere and with the returning of an injured trio of Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip, and Fabinho, the Liverpool squad definitely is in good shape ahead of the blockbuster encounter.
Undoubtedly, Liverpool’s gengenpressin has so far this season been a hard nut to crack for all of the teams in the EPL this season except for United last October at Old Trafford. Ole’s assignment on Sunday will be to punish Liverpool with their counter-attacking style of play.
Many pundits and analysts of the game believe the only way to beat Klopp’s team is to stop his wing-backs because apparently they do not play like natural full-backs, but unimaginative midfielders. Hence their ability to change the face of the game for the Reds when the intensity gets real. But it’s not the normal way to play against Manchester United whose major aim this season is to cause upsets for the big teams. And should the opportunity come for them against Liverpool, they’re ready to do the damage.
United have the advantage of having pacy attackers who can cause trouble for Liverpool’s defense. Marcus Rashford looks as though the team’s leader upfront wit his pace and with the help of Anthony Martial’s layoff passes in loopholes which gives Daniel James an opportunity to ravage the Liverpool backline with sharp runs, Liverpool’s defense will be in trouble.
While the middle of the park should be filled with United’s technical players in the position to reduce the passes of the Red’s three-man midfield and launch deep upfront to the front three. By and large, Ole Gunnar Soljkaer’s headache will be real come Sunday; should his team set up in a manner that shows fear for the Kop, just like we seen for countless times this season, they will be in for a massacre.
