Liverpool vs Man Utd: Reds struggle for top 4 as United target Quadruple.. what a difference a year makes – TV & stream
ONE team is fighting for an unprecedented Quadruple while the other scraps for a spot in the Europa League.
One team has just lifted their first trophy of the season while the other is embarrassingly far off the pace.
A year ago it was Liverpool who were roaring towards an incredible four trophies, playing every game possible and looking unstoppable.
A year ago Manchester United looked a disorganised mess without any tactical plan or sense of direction and a disjointed squad.
Fast forward just 12 months and the roles are completely reversed.
As Sir Alex Ferguson famously once said: “Football… bloody hell.”
Last season, Liverpool were in imperious form, winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, while reaching the Champions League final and missing out on the Premier League after one of the most-outrageous final-day comebacks ever from Manchester City.
The Reds also spanked United 9-0 across their two Premier League fixtures – with Jurgen Klopp grinning as his side made the Red Devils look like total amateurs.
This season, the German’s iconic grin has been replaced by a grimace as his Reds fall apart in front of his very eyes.
Make no mistake, this Liverpool squad needs a huge shake-up this summer with an aging midfield, error-prone defence and injury hit front-line wreaking havoc.
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But will they be able to attract the likes of Jude Bellingham when they’re increasingly unlikely to grab a Champions League place?
Liverpool are somehow still within reach of the top four – just six points behind Tottenham with a game in hand.
At Anfield, the Reds will look to not only get revenge for their 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford in August but also dent United’s shock title hopes.
The Red Devils haven’t won the Premier League since 2012-13 – in Fergie’s final season.
For much of this season, Arsenal and Man City were locked in a two-horse race to lift the crown.
But United’s red-hot form – spearheaded by Marcus Rashford‘s outrageous purple patch – has somehow lifted them into contention.
If Erik ten Hag‘s men win their game in hand over the top two, they’ll be just three points off City and eight behind Arsenal, with 13 games still to play.
The Carabao Cup victory over Newcastle last weekend has only further buoyed an already more unified, happy squad – ending their near-six-year trophy drought.
The rivalry between Liverpool and Man Utd has always burned strongly.
After all, they’re not only local rivals but also the two most-successful clubs in English football history.
With a changing of the guard already taking place, United go into the match at Anfield on Sunday afternoon as undeniable favourites.
Who would have guessed that last season?
What is their form like?
Liverpool: What a mixed bag.
Every time the Reds’ season looks dead and buried, they put together a string of encouraging results.. and whenever that happens they lose badly and make fans question everything.
In the league, Liverpool have won three of their last four matches 2-0 – against Everton, Newcastle and most-recently, Wolves.
However, they were battered 5-2 by Real Madrid and drew 0-0 at Crystal Palace in the middle of all that.
Man Utd: Absolutely scorching hot…
United haven’t lost since January 22 – and even that was a 3-2 epic against league leaders Arsenal.
You have to go back to the 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa on November 6 for their next-most-recent loss.
Ten Hag and Co are on fire, winning the Carabao Cup as well as their Europa League last 32 tie against Barcelona AND FA Cup fifth round clash vs West Ham.
What is the team news and any injuries to worry about?
Liverpool: Some of the Reds’ biggest name injury worries are back on the pitch, including Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino and Virgil van Dijk.
But Thiago is still out, as are Luiz Diaz and Calvin Ramsay.
Arthur is still likely to miss the match, despite returning to training.
Joe Gomez and Naby Keita are questionable after missing the win over Wolves with knocks.
Man Utd: Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek will both miss the clash at Anfield.
Anthony Martial is unlikely to be fit, with Wout Weghorst set to continue leading the line.
Ten Hag also has minor doubts over Luke Shaw and Jadon Sancho who missed the FA Cup win over West Ham with an injury and illness respectively.
Who will be the star men?
Liverpool: Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Much-maligned defensively, if Liverpool are to get anything out of the game, they’ll need to find a way to stop Rashford.
Alexander-Arnold will need to be switched on for the full 90 minutes.
And if he gets a chance to bomb forward or get a set-piece within 30 yards, the England ace could be the most important player on the pitch for Klopp.
Man Utd: Marcus Rashford.
How could it not be? The England star has been absolutely sensational.
Rashford has contributed to 16 goals since the World Cup and defences across Europe have struggled to slow him down.
Undoubtedly United’s biggest threat and any success they have will stem from the Three Lions star.
SunSport prediction
Liverpool 2 Man Utd 2
It’s hard to see Man Utd losing but this match won’t be easy in front of a fired-up Anfield and against a Liverpool team desperately fighting for points.
It should be entertaining – expect goals.
When is Liverpool vs Man Utd?
- Liverpool vs Man United is TODAY, Sunday, March 5th.
- The game will kick off at 16:30 pm UK time.
- Anfield will play host.
Is Liverpool vs Man Utd on TV?
- Liverpool vs Man United will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event, and coverage starts at 4:00pm UK time.
- If you are not a Sky Sports subscriber, you can follow SunSport’s live blog to keep up to date with all of the action.
What are the odds?
Liverpool – 27/20
Draw – 5/2
Man Utd – 7/5
*Odds courtesy of Ladbrokes and correct at the time of publication.