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Manchester United vs Liverpool highlights: Premier League scores, blog

15th January, 2017
Where: Old Trafford
When: 3am AEDT
Betting: Manchester United $2.10, Liverpool $3.60, Draw $3.40
This ought to be Zlatan's last season at United. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
Roar Guru
15th January, 2017
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2169 Reads

Manchester United host arch-rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford in what promises to be an absolute blockbuster. Join The Roar from 3am (AEDT) Monday for all the action.

Entering into this clash, United are arguably the most in-form side in the league during the past few weeks. A victory over Liverpool will cut the deficit to just two points between them, after just over a month ago it all seemed to be going pear-shaped for Jose Mourinho as they trailed ten points behind their rivals.

However, Liverpool sit in second place going into the round and are just five points behind leaders Chelsea. A win against United would be a massive boost for Jurgen Klopp’s men, who have failed to win in their last three matches.

United’s 2-0 midweek victory over Hull City in the semi-final first leg of the EFL Cup holds them in good stead for their meeting with Liverpool, while it also pushed their record to nine victories out of their last nine games. The last time they dropped any points was away to Everton at the beginning of December.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is now back amongst the goals after a concerning dry spell earlier in the season. The Swede certainly seems back to his confident self as well, after he declared that he has already “conquered” England in his first season.

For Liverpool, the goals have dried up slightly with the Merseyside outfit having failed to score in their last two games. That will be a concern for Klopp after his side were previously in devastating form in front of goal.

They are still the league’s highest scorers by some margin, but with the loss of Sadio Mane to the African Cup of Nations, the German manager will have to tweak his team and system in order to get them back to their free-flowing best.

Meanwhile, United’s Eric Bailly is also away at the tournament and it’s likely his absence will be felt. The Reds’ record away at Old Trafford makes for grim reading though. There has been the odd memorable victory, like 2009’s 4-1 demolition job, but apart from that it is a ground where they have consistently been beaten over the years. As so often is the case in the North West derby, home ground advantage is essential.

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The last time the two sides met was back in October last year at Anfield. On that night the sides’ fortunes were very different, as United entered into it against a Liverpool who were flying high, while Mourinho’s men were struggling considerably.

The Portuguese manager set up his team to prevent Klopp’s men from playing their usual game, and the tactic worked as they left Anfield with a dull 0-0 draw.

It will be a massive surprise if Mourinho adopts the same kind of tactics at home and with his big game players like Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba now in form. That means that it could be a frantic derby, with both teams looking to attack one another. Whatever the result, the game looks set to be completely different to their last encounter.

Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson is in doubt for the clash after he picked up a heel injury during their win over Manchester City on New Year’s Eve. The captain has been badly missed in the meantime, with his work in the centre of the pitch not able to have been replicated by the likes of Emre Can or Lucas Leiva.

However, the good news for Reds fans is the likely return of Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian made his return off the bench in Liverpool’s defeat to Southampton on Wednesday, and could be set to start for the first time since November.

Wayne Rooney looks like he will have to settle for a place on the bench after he featured in both of United’s most recent cup victories.

The United man needs just one more goal to break the all-time goal scoring record for the club, which would be an incredible achievement. For a boyhood Evertonian, the chance to do so against Liverpool will act as even more incentive to do so on Sunday.

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