Liverpool return to Outdated Trafford on Sunday with revenge on their thoughts, realizing something wanting a win will not be sufficient as Manchester United look to derail their fiercest rivals’ Premier League title problem.
These two golf equipment threw up one of many video games of the season within the FA Cup final month. United gained in probably the most dramatic of circumstances to place an finish to Jurgen Klopp’s quadruple ambitions and maintain their season alive.
On Sunday, Sky Sports activities brings you the most recent version of this rivalry with Erik ten Hag combating for his future and Premier League leaders Liverpool hoping to offer their supervisor the right send-off in his remaining season.
Try our unique interviews, options and evaluation under forward of Sunday’s crunch recreation at Outdated Trafford, stay on Sky Sports activities, with kick-off at 3.30pm….
Ten Hag has ‘no doubts’ he’ll keep as Man Utd boss
A defiant Erik ten Hag has insisted he has “no doubts” he’ll nonetheless be Manchester United’s supervisor subsequent season forward of Sunday’s recreation.
The United boss, who stated per week in the past that he “doesn’t care” about hypothesis linking United with England coach Gareth Southgate, has reiterated within the wake of Thursday’s shattering defeat at Chelsea he nonetheless expects to stay at Outdated Trafford subsequent season.
“I haven’t got any doubts,” Ten Hag advised Sky Sports activities. “I am simply specializing in my job, specializing in this course of, on this venture. I actually like to be right here, I am having fun with it. For me it is a problem.”
Sky Sports activities Information reported on the finish of March that United haven’t made a definitive choice over Ten Hag’s future and are planning for subsequent season with him, together with potential recruitments and summer time tour plans.
Learn extra from Sky Sports activities’ unique interview with Ten Hag right here.
Klopp: We should right errors from cup defeat
Jurgen Klopp has gained simply twice and drawn 4 of his 10 visits to Outdated Trafford as Liverpool supervisor, whereas certainly one of his 4 defeats got here in dramatic vogue within the FA Cup final month as their quadruple goals ended.
Klopp is aware of his facet should right the errors they made in that 4-3 defeat in the event that they wish to preserve their benefit within the Premier League title race, saying: “We had been actually good that day however we did not end the conditions off.
“Additional-time was an excessive amount of for us and we could not keep away from the errors. It was the day we could not management it anymore.
“United turned the sport round and United is a high facet taking part in at dwelling. What now we have to do is what we did from minute 15 to 70-something.
“Soccer will not be that simple. We’ve to discover a technique to trigger United issues. They’ll attempt the identical.
“In opposition to this opponent, on this stadium, we higher play a very good recreation if we would like one thing from it.”
Ten Hag: Gamers will likely be ‘indignant’
Erik ten Hag warned Liverpool that United will likely be “indignant” after their capitulation in opposition to Chelsea on Thursday, saying: “We’ll maintain combating.”
The Dutchman stated. “We’ve character. I am certain they are going to be there on Sunday to be within the battle in opposition to Liverpool.
“We’ve qualities. We’ve some nice gamers. We will play very excessive requirements. We’ve seen in opposition to Liverpool, we will compete with the very best and beat the very best groups within the Premier League.
“However we have to find out how you win video games. We have to make higher selections individually and as a crew.
“We’ve to recuperate very fast. We’ve to show this round. We will likely be indignant and you’ll take plenty of vitality. That’s the method now we have to do it.”
Ten Hag additionally had a message for United followers, saying: “Be behind Manchester United. Assist us in a optimistic method.
“There’s a incredible bond between the crew and the followers. We’ve seen within the recreation in opposition to Liverpool, we will have togetherness on a optimistic method on the pitch.”
Why comeback wins are Liverpool’s new speciality
Liverpool are making comebacks their factor. Seven instances the Reds have fallen behind this season solely to finish the sport triumphant, the most recent coming in opposition to Brighton final weekend.
It is obtained a whiff of ‘champion’s credentials’. This new-found, or rediscovered defiance, which has its roots in Jurgen Klopp’s refusal to give up, will serve them properly as this enthralling title race meanders and zigzags in unpredictable instructions.
Liverpool at their greatest have at all times been daring underneath Klopp. They’ve gained every part the membership recreation has to supply. However this remaining farewell, earlier than the German takes his emotional go away after 9 years in cost at Anfield, has a unique really feel about it.
Whereas the theme is constant, the strategies are usually not. The blueprint is different. And these are usually not cluster comebacks, there may be proof of Liverpool falling behind in most months this season earlier than staging a fightback to assert victory – 21 factors gained from shedding positions.
What’s driving such an upturn? Learn Laura Hunter’s function right here.
Ten Hag unwilling to face actuality – United’s defence is an issue
United could also be sixth within the Premier League however there may be one space by which they paved the way.
Remarkably, the 13-time Premier League winners have conceded extra pictures on objective than another facet in Europe’s top-five leagues in 2024.
Maybe much more remarkably, Ten Hag insists it’s not a difficulty, dismissing questions over the convenience at which opponents are attacking United’s objective as “ridiculous” – minutes after seeing his facet concede 4 to mid-table Chelsea.
“We ranked fourth for targets conceded earlier than tonight,” stated Ten Hag. “We’re good, and now we have good defending as a crew and a superb goalkeeper, so I can not do nothing.”
Maybe Ten Hag is not one for statistics – or maybe he merely desires to disregard them, given they make ugly studying for his facet.
United could have the fifth-best defence within the Premier League by way of targets conceded however their anticipated targets conceded numbers rank them as one of many worst within the high flight.
Had been it not for Andre Onana – who has conceded three fewer targets than anticipated primarily based on Opta’s knowledge – then United could be in much more bother.
Much more worrying for United is the truth that Liverpool rank first within the Premier League for each anticipated targets and pictures per 90 this season. Onana may very well be in for a busy Sunday afternoon.
The Essential Football Podcast: Is Man Utd vs Liverpool ‘must-win’ for both sides?
Sky Sports activities journalists Ron Walker, Peter Smith and Richard Morgan talk about the large conflict between Man Utd and Liverpool at Outdated Trafford, and contemplate whether or not either side should win the sport because the Premier League season edges in the direction of its conclusion.
Autocomplete Problem: What does Andre Onana take into consideration that Rihanna track?
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana solutions the most-asked on-line questions on together with what he regards as his greatest Premier League save, who his footballing hero is and what he thinks about that Rihanna track!
Salah: We all know how a lot Man Utd wish to cease us profitable title
Mohamed Salah has advised Sky Sports activities Liverpool should win each recreation to assert the Premier League title and is aware of how a lot Manchester United will wish to cease them from profitable the league.
Hojlund: Scoring in opposition to Liverpool could be unbelievable!
Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund says it could really feel unbelievable to attain in opposition to Liverpool.
Jones Is aware of – Thrashing ahoy: Man Utd 1-6 Liverpool! – PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!
Sky Sports activities’ tipster Lewis Jones:
Somebody goes to offer Manchester United a superb spanking earlier than the season is out.
Step ahead Liverpool?
United may very well be with out 4 senior central defenders by harm, which means Harry Maguire and Willy Kambwala, protected by the clunky Casemiro, may very well be the resistance United supply as much as a Liverpool assault that has scored three or extra targets in seven of their final 11 Premier League video games. United are heading into battle with a defend made from poppadums and an underlying course of which is changing into fairly laughable.
They’ve confronted probably the most pictures within the Premier League in 2024 (225) – it is also probably the most pictures confronted of any crew in Europe’s main leagues. The corners conceded numbers additionally stay uncontrolled, delivery 101 of their final 10 Premier League video games – once more, probably the most of any Premier League crew.
For context, Liverpool have conceded simply 34 of their final 11 video games. The markets have lastly reacted to those numbers with the Liverpool nook line set at eight or extra right here at 5/4 with Sky Bet which is slightly shorter than ideally suited however nonetheless ought to be a guess that lands in what may very well be a landslide of an away win.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-6
Watch Man Utd vs Liverpool on Sunday, stay on Sky Sports activities Foremost Occasion and Premier League from 2.30pm; kick-off 3.30pm.
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