Liverpool-Manchester United Tips: United can end Liverpool's unbeaten run

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is in need of a big performance ahead of Sunday’s visit of Manchester City following a moderate run of results of late. The good news is the hosts have come out on top in this corresponding fixture for the past two seasons and City have been hampered by a troubled preparation.

Man Utd’s pace in their front three should make it relatively simple for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to deploy his usual ‘Big Six’ strategy of sitting deep, absorbing pressure, and countering quickly down the flanks.

Liverpool-Manchester United Tips

Everything is set up for Liverpool to lose their first league game at Anfield since April 2017. Jurgen Klopp’s injury crisis means central midfielders at centre-back again, and with his front three looking jaded that makes Liverpool vulnerable; to playing stale possession football and then being hit on the break. That is how Southampton beat them on Monday, constantly looking for long balls over the top of Liverpool’s high line.

Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial should be able to get behind those marauding Liverpool full-backs, as well as cut inside to join Edinson Cavani when United pump longer passes over the top of the defence.

To get the win, United need to first focus on their defensive shape. They need to make sure they sit in a 4-4-2 formation with Bruno Fernandes alongside the striker – and in front of Thiago, ensuring Liverpool’s deep-lying playmaker is sandwiched by bodies. If Thiago is taken out of the game, Liverpool’s passing will be slow and aimless, providing the visitors with a platform for a famous win.

Never mind a new centre back, the problem for Liverpool is in attack

Despite injuries to their central defenders, Liverpool’s issues are at the other end of the pitch! Liverpool have fallen significantly off their own pace, but not because of any injuries they have suffered in defence. Instead, it’s the Reds’ attack that is holding them back. The same attack that scored 85 times in 38 Premier League games last season is struggling to find its groove, illustrated most starkly by recent results.

Since smashing seven goals past Crystal Palace on December 19, Liverpool have found the net just once in their last three league outings against West Brom, Newcastle United and Southampton – all teams the defending Premier League champions were expected to comfortably sweep aside.

The fast and furious football Liverpool have become renowned for under Klopp has been a little less fast and a little less furious this season. There have been far fewer jolting, surging attacks through the lines of transition. Last season, Liverpool generated 42 shots and 15 goals from ‘fast break’ attacks. This season, they have registered just 13 shots and two goals in this way.

While Klopp and his players set an astonishing pace in terms of their results this season, winning 26 of their opening 27 league fixtures, a lot of late goals and moments of fighting spirit contributed to their unstoppable momentum.

Those late goals and moments of fighting spirit have been fewer and further between this season and Liverpool don’t seem so invincible as a result. The Reds will welcome Manchester United to Anfield amid a 67-game unbeaten home run, but Klopp’s side haven’t appeared so vulnerable for quite some time. It has nothing to do with the defenders they are missing.

United ‘ready’ for Anfield test

The Red Devils head to Merseyside holding a three-point lead at the top of the table following Tuesday’s hard-fought 1-0 win at Burnley. Paul Pogba’s volley on 71 minutes proved decisive at Turf Moor, meaning Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have picked up 29 points from the last 33 available.

United are top at this stage of the season for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s victorious farewell 2012-13 campaign.

“I think that this kind of win shows that we are ready to compete for the title,” said Nemanja Matic, a two-time Premier League winner during his time at Chelsea. “Sometimes (in the past) we looked like a team who wants to score as soon as possible, then we get panicked. I think here we showed more maturity, we showed that we are more clever – and on this pitch here, in this stadium against Burnley, it’s always hard to win the games. Not to concede a goal from the long balls, set-pieces, so we prepared the game well and I think that we deserved these three points.”

He added: “I’m happy for the team, for the team performance, for our team spirit and let’s see Sunday against Liverpool.