Team News
Manchester United keep having their injury problems as they were worsened against Brighton. Mason Mount was forced to exit at halftime due to a thigh injury in that game and that means he is another among the players unavailable to play against Liverpool. This list includes Leny Yoro (foot), Rasmus Højlund (hamstring), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Luke Shaw (calf), and Victor Lindelöf (toe). With Mount sidelined, Joshua Zirkzee is likely to make his full debut, slotting into the attack while Bruno Fernandes drops back into the number 10 role. Meanwhile, United have successfully secured the signing of former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte. However, as the deal was finalised after the deadline, Ugarte will not be eligible to make his debut this weekend.
On the other side, Liverpool have pulled off one of the transfer window’s most talked-about deals, signing Euro 2024-winning forward Federico Chiesa from Juventus for a mere £10 million. Despite the excitement surrounding his arrival, Liverpool manager Arne Slot has indicated that Chiesa is unlikely to feature at Old Trafford this weekend, given his recent lack of match fitness and ongoing recovery from previous injuries. Slot might be forced to reconsider if any late injuries arise, but as of now, only Curtis Jones is a doubt for Liverpool.
Form Guide
Man United did not start the season in an ideal fashion, even though things started looking better. A Community Shield loss against Manchester City came only after an unlucky penalty shoot-out in which the Devils were the first team to have the lead. That was followed with a 1-0 win against Fulham in the Premier League season opener, thanks to a goal from Joshua Zirkzee. Although a late goal salvaged the three points, United did put out a good display in which they were deserving of a win. But that was not capitalised on in the third match of the new campaign. United went to Brighton, where they often struggled in recent years, and failed to do much better. The Seagulls got themselves a 2-1 win against United, who had shown some of the same old problems in this match, not something they would have wanted just before the match against their fiercest rivals, Liverpool.
Liverpool, on the other end, are at a new beginning. Jurgen Klopp left after a long spell at the helm and Arne Slot came in to try and bring a new era to Anfield. Erik Ten Hag’s compatriot had a great, unsensational start to the campaign, probably just the way he wanted things to go. Two 2-0 wins, against Ipswich Town away and Brentford at home, did not bring any negativity early on during Slot’s reign and Liverpool did a good job to get the six points. It is a bonus for them that Mohamed Salah scored in both matches. Now, this will be the biggest test for Slot’s side, who only recently got themselves their first pair of new signings, goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia, and left winger Federico Chiesa from Juventus.
Predicted Outcome
Considering everything, a big clash like this one rarely has to anything to do with recent form and we predict Manchester United will get a 1-1 draw against Liverpool. That would definitely not be a bad result for Ten Hag’s side, particularly after the Brighton loss.
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