Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
Our second installment of Super Sunday: Merseyside vs Manchester takes us to Old Trafford and it doesn’t get much bigger than Manchester United vs Liverpool. United need a win to keep pace with the 5 clubs above them while Liverpool need a win to keep their title hopes alive.
Both these sides played in the EFL Cup in midweek with mixed fortunes. United have one leg already in the final thanks to a comfortable 2-0 win over Hull, while Liverpool will have work to do if they are to return to Wembley after a first leg defeat to Southampton at St Mary’s.
For Liverpool it was a third straight game in all competitions in which they have failed to win. That defeat to Southampton can be added to draws with Sunderland and Plymouth in both league and cup. The draw with Sunderland will arguably hurt the most though as it can only be viewed as two points dropped.
As for hosts United, dropping points seem to be a thing of the past as they come into this game off the back of a 6 game Premier League winning streak and that’s not forgetting success in both of England’s domestic cup competitions in the past week.
In addition to the aforementioned win over Hull in midweek they also made light work of Reading last Saturday in the F.A. Cup. A game which did not represent a good return for Jaap Stam to Old Trafford as his side were beaten 4-0.
A game in which Wayne Rooney finally leveled Sir Bobby Charlton’s goal scoring record for the club. With Rooney’s connections to Everton, what price would you put on him going on to get his 250th goal this afternoon against Liverpool.
With the top three all winning yesterday it adds an extra magnitude to today’s encounter as should defeat happen for either side it will be a major dent to their respective hopes while you would have to argue that a draw will do neither club any favours.
Much was made about Jurgen Klopp’s wholesale changes at home to Plymouth in the cup last week but when games like this are just around the corner then it’s pretty obvious as to why the second string where given a run out against League Two opposition.
But with a near full strength side against Southampton on Wednesday there will have be concern for Jurgen Klopp in the way they performed. Klopp’s comments after the game suggested that they got out of jail with the former Dortmund boss reckoning they should have lost 3-0.
The fact that they only conceded a Nathan Redmond goal after just 20 minutes still keeps not only the tie but Wembley hopes alive, that though is put on the back burner as the sole focus this Afternoon is coming away from Old Trafford with all three points.
When these two sides met earlier in the season, you would have to say it did not make for particular pretty viewing as the hype did not match the offerings on the pitch. Mourinho parked the bus and squeezed the life out of a game which ended in a dour 0-0 draw.
You would hope what with United at home then Mourinho can afford to be a bit more expansive and with ground to be made up on his title rivals then the only way they can stay in the hunt is by making it a magnificent seven in terms of successive league wins.
As of late United have had the superiority over Liverpool in the league as they are unbeaten in their last 5 meetings. Before that awful 0-0 draw back in October they had won the last four. So if you are looking at streak’s then United have the advantage but then again streak’s are made to be broken.
The question is though whether or not Liverpool can break that streak today. They come here in a small rut of bad form and one they quickly they need to get out if they are not to see their great start to the season then become derailed.
But with Mourinho’s men in such red hot form at present I think they will come into this tie as favourites and I think they will live up to that tag with a win Today. That’s not want Liverpool fans will want to hear mind you but unfortunately something has to give. It’s a home win for me.
