The Reds currently have a staggering 14-point gap over second-place Manchester City, however Manchester United are the only team to take points from Liverpool this season.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have won 20 games this season, drawing just once at the hands of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team.

The Reds Devils will be looking for a similar upset on Sunday, with the struggling side potentially opting to try and draw the game.

 

Form going into the match

Liverpool have gone from strength to strength this season. Continuing on from winning the Champions League last season, Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table continues to grow.

There is a 27-point margin between the two sides, with United showing inconsistency and inexperience at times this season.

The Red Devils are currently in fifth place in the Premier League, five points shy of Chelsea in fourth.

Whilst there has been a lot of discontent from the United fans, with many still unsure whether Solskjaer is the right man for the job, it is clear that United are a good side.

Young players like Brandon Williams and Mason Greenwood have both impressed this season, with Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford enjoying playing together.

However, there is still trouble defensively for United. Summer signing, Harry Maguire cost £80million and has not lived up to the hype of breaking the transfer record for a defender.

United have conceded 25 goals this, compared to just 14 for Liverpool. The difference between the sides is staggering.

Despite the odds stacked against United, they have already caused upsets this season. In December they beat both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

Team news

Both teams are suffering from various injuries, however the home side have had some positive news regarding players coming back from injury.

Klopp confirmed in his press conference that both Joel Matip and Fabinho are back in training and will be available for this fixture.

Both players have been training normally for the past couple of days so should be available for the squad. With how strongly, the Reds have been performing, it would be a risk to start the pair, but the bench is likely for them.

Naby Keita, Dejan Lovren and James Milner are still ruled out of the fixture.

For the visitors, forward, Marcus Rashford had to be substituted in their 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup replay on Wednesday.

This led Solskjaer to say, “We're going to do some more checks and treatment with him today. I would probably think that he wouldn't be ready, but let's see. There's still 48 hours, more than that, so let's see.”

Should Rashford not be available for United, this will be a huge blow for them. The 22-year-old is a big threat and has a history of inspired performances against Liverpool. Without him, fellow forward Marital could find himself isolated and unable to get a foothold in the game."

Key Players

Trent Alexander-Arnold VS Aaron Wan-Bissaka 

Many pundits often try to compare these two young, English right-backs. Despite being a similar age and playing in the same position, there is a sizeable difference in the skill of one another. 

 

Trent Alexander-Arnold has continued to push himself and has found himself regarded as on the best right-backs in the world at the moment. Contributing two goals and eight assists in the Premier League this season, the 21-year-old has the ability to create quality chances and produce fantastic crosses into the box. 

However, Trent will be pushed in this game defensively. As United will look to hit Liverpool on the counter-attack, Trent will have to stay focused throughout the game.

 

As for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, he faces a different test. Known for being a talented defensive right back, Wan Bissaka will need all of his quality to uphold the task of Sadio Mane.

The Senegalese has 11 goals this seasons and has recently won the African Player of the Year, once again showing that he is a pivotal player for Liverpool and one of the best wingers in the world.

The managers

Both managers spoke in their pre-match press conferences with resembling thoughts on the game.

Jurgen Klopp is looking for his side to rectify the draw between the two sides earlier this season.

 

“We have to learn dealing with games like this in the right manner. We did not do too badly in the past but we still can improve. I think the game at United is a good example,” Klopp said. 

“We were not at our best in a game where we should be because of the quality of the opponent. We were not bad that day but weren't at our best. We have to make it more likely that we are at our best in a game like this. For this, you have to treat it like you treat all very, very important games for us. The next game is always the most important, so we don't make it different,” he continued.

With United being the only team to takes points off Liverpool in the Premier League this season, there is enough to believe that they can do the same again. That is also the opinion of Solskjaer:

“We need a very, very good performance to go there and win, but we beat City last month, we had the PSG game. We need to get to the level of those performances, definitely, when you go away against the team that is top of the league

“The last two performances we've had against Liverpool as well, to be fair, we've played them at Old Trafford twice, we've drawn twice and been closest to winning both of those games, so we've got some games to look back at and that will give us some belief, loads of belief, that if we perform to our best we've got a chance to win,” the United manager continued to say"

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