Two of the biggest Premier League rivals meet at Anfield on Sunday, as Liverpool and Manchester United go head-to-head.
The hosts are looking to cement their place at the top of the table, where they hold a six-point lead with a game in hand on second-place Arsenal.
United, meanwhile, is entering this match with four defeats in their last four matches and will look to spring an upset to move up the standings.
It’s now 23 games unbeaten in all competitions for Liverpool, with Arne Slot’s men building a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.
That run includes three straight wins in the league, including a 5-0 success at West Ham in their final game of 2024.
Manchester United meanwhile, head into the new year off the back of three straight defeats and having slipped to 14th in the standings.
Ruben Amorim has only been in charge for six weeks, but the pressure is already building on the Portuguese coach, who admitted recently that relegation is a ‘possibility’.
That is almost unthinkable for a team that has won the title on 20 occasions, but they are now just seven points outside the relegation zone.
The head-to-head stats don’t make good reading either, with United winning just two of the last nine meetings between the rivals.
You have to go back to January 2016 for the last time United won at Anfield. This season, Liverpool won the reverse fixture 3-0 at Old Trafford, and the last two games between the sides finished in the target range of 2-4 goals.
Both defenses are weakened by injury. The hosts are without both Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez, while Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw are still absent for the away team.
That should lead to more scoring chances, which should benefit Liverpool.
He might not have signed a new contract yet at Anfield, but Mohamed Salah continues to show everyone that he is still at the top of his game.
The Egyptian star tops the goalscoring charts, with 17 league goals in 18 appearances, and has found the net four times in the Reds’ last three games.
Salah continues to break records, last week becoming the only player to score and assist in eight matches in a season and we’re only halfway through the campaign.
The 32-year-old is now eighth in the Premier League all-time goalscoring list, needing just two more to surpass Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.
His record against United is also impressive, finding the net six times in the last six competitive meetings with the Red Devils. Back Salah to open the scoring here.
A lot has been made of Manchester United’s lack of attacking options this season, but they have also struggled defensively.
Amorim has made a big change in the United formation, playing with three central defenders flanked by wing backs.
It looks like a system that doesn’t suit a number of their current squad, including Argentinian centre-back Lisandro Martinez.
The former Ajax man is known for his aggressive style of play, so we shouldn’t be totally surprised to see him high in the yellow card stats.
Martinez has made just 16 fouls in 16 league appearances, but the defender has already collected six cautions to date.
That list of bookings includes a yellow in the 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle last time out, while Martinez also received a caution in the defeat to Liverpool back in September.
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Liverpool | -350 |
Draw | +525 |
Manchester United | +750 |
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) | -125 |
Luis Diaz (Liverpool) | +140 |
Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) | +160 |
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) | +300 |
Rasmus Hojlund (Man Utd) | +375 |
Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd) | +600 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.