Liverpool vs Manchester United Preview: Where to Watch, Kick Off Time, Team News & More
Liverpool and Manchester United renew their famous rivalry on Sunday as Jurgen Klopp goes in search of his first Premier League win against the Red Devils.
In seven encounters between the two sides since Klopp took over at Anfield, Liverpool's only win came in the Europa League in 2016, and their last victory over a Jose Mourinho side came when he was in charge at Chelsea.
It is always an interesting clash of styles when these two managers meet, with Klopp's high intensity pressing coming up against Mourinho's more methodical approach.
Nothing less than victory will do for Liverpool, who must make the most of Manchester City's defeat to Chelsea last weekend to press home their advantage at the top of the table.
Where to Watch
When Is Kick Off? | Sunday 16th December |
What Time Is Kick Off? | 16:00 BST |
Where Is it Played? | Anfield |
Referee? | Martin Atkinson |
TV Channel? | Sky Sports Premier League / Sky Sports Main Event |
Team News
With Marcos Rojo, Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling all set to miss out, Jose Mourinho may be forced to pick the same central defensive pairing which started against Valencia. Eric Bailly and Phil Jones struggled at Mestalla, with Jones scoring an own goal in a 2-1 defeat.
Luke Shaw didn't travel to Spain after picking up an injury in the warmup against Fulham last weekend, while Matteo Darmian is still out and Diogo Dalot suffered an injury in training, although he may be fit in time for Sunday.
Scott McTominay and Anthony Martial also missed Wednesday's match with injuries, as Mourinho confirmed David de Gea and Nemanja Matic were the only players he voluntarily left at home.
United's only consolation is that Liverpool are facing a defensive crisis of their own, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joel Matip both suffering injuries in the dying stages of Tuesday's Champions League win over Napoli.
Alex Livesey - Danehouse/GettyImages
Alexander-Arnold sustained a foot injury; Matip a fractured collarbone. They join Joe Gomez on the treatment table, but Nathaniel Clyne has been training this week and could be fit in time to play against United.
Liverpool are therefore left with just two fit centre backs and – at best – half a fit right back, although James Milner is likely to tuck in on the right as he did against Bournemouth last weekend.
Predicted Lineups
Liverpool | Alisson; Milner, Van Dijk, Lovren, Robertson; Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Firmino; Shaqiri, Salah, Mane. |
Manchester United | De Gea; Dalot, Bailly, Jones, Shaw; Matic, Herrera, Fellaini; Lingard, Rashford, Martial. |
Recent Form
Liverpool head into this match on a huge high, having gone top of the Premier League last weekend followed by qualification to the knockout stages of the Champions League in midweek.
The Reds have won their last five Premier League matches and 13 of the 16 they have played so far this season, drawing the other three. Manchester City's defeat last week leaves Liverpool as the only unbeaten team in the top seven tiers of English football.
PAUL ELLIS/GettyImages
Manchester United suffered that disappointing defeat at Valencia in midweek, but they may benefit from having played a lower intensity match with a changed squad.
Jose Mourinho's team have only lost one of their last nine Premier League matches, but last weekend's win over Fulham was their first victory in over a month. They are eight points off the top four and 16 points behind leaders Liverpool.
Liverpool | Manchester United |
Liverpool 1-0 Napoli (11/12) | Valencia 2-1 Manchester United (12/12) |
Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool (08/12) | Manchester United 4-1 Fulham (08/12) |
Burnley 1-3 Liverpool (05/12) | Manchester United 2-2 Arsenal (05/12) |
Liverpool 1-0 Everton (02/12) | Southampton 2-2 Manchester United (01/12) |
Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Liverpool (28/11) | Manchester United 1-0 Young Boys (27/11) |
Prediction
Neither manager will be pleased to have so many defensive injuries to contend with, but it should make for a match worthy of this fixture's storied history.
On paper, Liverpool's form and high morale should be enough to see them over the line, but Manchester United always raise their game in the North West Derby and they would love to be the team that knocks Liverpool off the top of the table.
GLYN KIRK/GettyImages
In Dejan Lovren and Phil Jones, both teams have an obvious weak link which the other side will try to exploit. The match may be decided by which midfield can offer the best protection to their patchwork back line.
It's rarely dull when these two meet, and it promises to be another cracker on Sunday.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-2 Manchester United
