Manchester United head into their second home game of the season against fierce rivals Liverpool, knowing a win at Old Trafford will prevent Arne Slot from maintaining an unbeaten start in the Premier League heading into the international break.
As United look to finalise the signing of Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint Germain, Erik ten Hag will be well-aware his side will need to improve on their late defeat to Brighton last time out, especially in a game of this magnitude. The Uruguayan looks to be a long-term replacement for Casemiro as a holding midfielder but is unlikely to make a home debut in Sunday’s clash. Instead, United will need to call upon their current players to get the job done and ensure all three points at the Theatre of Dreams.
Liverpool arrive on the back of a 2-0 victory over Brentford at Anfield, and are slight favourites with the latest free bet offers, however they have been unable to win at Old Trafford since 2021. Slot has also failed to secure any of his summer signings, with Martin Zubimendi amongst a number of key targets to turn down the Reds over the transfer window.
In this article, we take a look at both side’s chances in this Super Sunday battle. Both have plenty to prove and look to build momentum before the fixtures start to pile up. Read on, as we preview United against Liverpool in the Premier League.
The key battles
Both sides suffered injury setbacks ahead of the new season, but United’s defence – depleted by the departures of Raphael Varane to Como and injury to new signing Leny Yoro – will need to be at their best to keep Diogo Jota at bay.
The Liverpool forward has scored and assisted in both wins so far against Ipswich and Brentford respectively, and alongside Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah, will be vital in creating chances for Slot’s side.
If Jota can remain fit throughout the season, he is a much better finisher than Darwin Nunez and could play a hand in Liverpool’s title pursuit and has a good scoring record at Old Trafford. However, Lisandro Martínez has returned in fine form and has steadied United by winning duels and playing out from the back. It will be an interesting battle if space does open up in the game.
Additionally, United will need to win the midfield battle against a Liverpool side that is controlling possession more this term. In the loss to Brighton, Bruno Fernandes was moved from his more familiar role as an attacking midfielder to a false nine, rotating with Mason Mount and Amad Diallo.
If he can return to playing slightly deeper off the shoulder of Joshua Zirkzee, who scored off the bench against Fulham on his Old Trafford debut, then United could breach Liverpool’s defence for the first time.
How could Ten Hag set up?
The battle between two Dutch coaches will be fascinating for both neutrals and fans alike. Ten Hag has to get his tactics right in order to be the first manager to best Slot during his time at Liverpool.
When the two sides met in preseason, United operated in a 4-2-3-1 system, however, the signing of Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich has given more flexibility going forward. Expect him to return to the backline alongside Martinez, with Matthijs de Ligt potentially getting a first start.
Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo will likely pair the midfield, while Diallo, Mount and Marcus Rashford could play just ahead with Fernandes or Zirkzee leading the line.
Simply put, Ten Hag was outwitted by Fabian Hürzeler away at Brighton, and that can’t happen again when Liverpool come to town. The Dutchman is managing on borrowed time if he is unable to get more points of the board, and his frustration was reflected in his post-match comments, where he questioned his side’s mentality after an injury time defeat.
“It’s very disappointing,” the United boss said. “Especially when for long parts of the game you have control.
“We controlled the game in possession and we were doing so well. We [conceded] two unnecessary goals, very avoidable.”
“That is our feeling. We conceded two soft goals where we should act better as a team. We have to talk, we have to be aligned in such moments [and know] what to do. Everyone knows the job and as a team, we protect our goal.”
Prediction:
Overall, United know they need to be at their best in order to beat Liverpool at Old Trafford. The Red Devils will create a bearpit atmosphere for the visitors and although they have started well under Slot, they have yet to be tested against a top six club in a competitive fixture, and now could be the chance for Ten Hag to stake a claim as the right man to be in the dugout ahead of the international break. It will be a good tactical battle that sees goals at both ends.
Full time: United 1-1 Liverpool
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