Three plotlines to savour before Liverpool versus Man United

Manchester United travel to Anfield tomorrow to take on Liverpool, aiming to stop a four game losing run.

The Red Devils and Liverpool is the biggest game on the English football calendar and United will be looking for revenge after losing 0-3 at Old Trafford in September.

The two sides have played against one another a mammoth 243 times in history with the Old Trafford side winning on 91 occasions and Liverpool 82 times.

There have been 70 draws between the two North-West giants.

Here are three plotlines to look out for before the huge clash.

United dream of overcoming horrendous league form vs Liverpool

The 1990s and first decade of the 2000s saw United dominate their rivals but the last decade has undoubtedly belonged to Liverpool.

According to the BBC, “Liverpool’s only defeat in their last 13 Premier League games against Manchester United was a 2-1 loss at Old Trafford in August 2022.”

They have won seven and drawn five of the other matches as United have struggled to lay a glove on their biggest rival.

What’s more, there have been some thrashings for United over the last few years as they lost 0-5 at Old Trafford in 2021 and 0-7 at Anfield in 2023.

To compound matters, “Man Utd’s run of eight away league games without a victory at Liverpool is their longest since a sequence of nine winless games at Anfield between 1970 and 1979.”

The last time United fans tasted victory at Anfield was a 1-0 victory in January 2016 when Wayne Rooney scored a second-half winner under Louis van Gaal.

United at least need to end goalless streak at Anfield

The Red Devils naturally have found goals hard to come by at Anfield when you consider their recent record there.

However, it is mind-boggling that they have not scored a goal there since the days of Jose Mourinho.

That goal game in a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in December 2018 when Jesse Lingard fired home for the Red Devils.

In fact, the last time United managed more than a goal at Anfield was in March 2015 when Juan Mata scored a splendid double to beat Liverpool 2-1.

The statistics are even more painful reading considering the relative ease Liverpool have had scoring at Old Trafford in the recent years and is something that must soon be put right.

United aiming to end rut in league form

A scarcely believable run has seen Ruben Amorim’s side lose six games in the month of December, the most they have in any month since 1930.

“The Red Devils are looking to avoid losing four league games in a row in the same season since 1979. They last suffered four defeats in a row without scoring back in 1909.”

Many fans are sympathetic to the challenges Amorim has faced and will continue to encounter over the next few weeks and months.

Nonetheless, this inexcusable run of form has to stop and what better way than putting Liverpool to the sword at Anfield.

Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images

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