Liverpool vs Manchester United: Three key battles

Both teams boast world-class players in their lineups that will push to secure the win.

Liverpool and Manchester United will write another chapter in their decades-old rivalry on Sunday at Anfield in the Premier League. Both outfits are behemoths of English football and the most successful clubs in the history of first-division football in the country. The upcoming league contest is going to be extremely exciting, one that will attract viewers from all over the world.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are having a difficult season, suffering from inconsistency and struggling to mount a strong challenge for a top-four finish. On the other hand, Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United is performing fabulously and recently won the 2022-23 Carabao Cup. However, on the day of the fixture, past performances matter less and the game usually goes in the favour of the team that shows more ambition.

On that note, here is a look at the three key battles ahead of the game that may decide the outcome of it:

Trent Alexander-Arnold vs Marcus Rashford

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marcos Rashford’s duel will likely attract the most eyeballs during Liverpool vs Manchester United. The right-back for the Reds will have his hands full in trying to deny MUFC’s in-form winger from scoring. 

Marcus Rashford has 25 goals and nine assists in all competitions this season. He is on fire and Klopp will hope that Trent Alexander-Arnold does not allow him any space on the left flank. It is worth noting that Rashford scored a goal when these two teams met last time. It will be interesting to see how the full-back deals with Rashford’s pace in counter-attack situations.

Bruno Fernandes vs Fabinho

The midfield battle will be crucial and whoever wins will likely secure the points. For Manchester United, Bruno Fernandes is the creative outlet in the midfield. Stopping him from pulling off penetrative passes will be Fabinho’s responsibility.

The defensive midfielder is the anchor in Liverpool’s midfield and will hope to deny Fernandes any space and time to operate. However, the Portuguese international is a tricky operator and likes to steer into the flanks to affect the game which could pose trouble for Fabinho and pull him out of position.

Mohamed Salah vs Lisandro Martinez

Mohamed Salah and Lisandro Martinez’s clash is set to be fiery. The duo were at each other, trading blows in the previous fixture. While the Reds will hope that Salah can outpace Martinez, “the Butcher” is also quick on his feet. In terms of physicality, the MUFC centre-back has an upper hand. 

However, Salah has a habit of conjuring up magic and scoring from outrageous situations. Erik ten Hag will hope that Lisandro Martinez stays close to the Reds’ winger and mark him like a hawk. Support of the home fans inside the stadium can give Salah the adrenaline boost to find space and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. In order to silence this threat, Martinez must deliver another one of his powerful performances where he loves to dominate attackers with sheer force and will.