Liverpool preview: A guide to Sunday's opponents
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will travel to Anfield for the first time as Manchester United manager when his side face Liverpool on Sunday.
The Merseysiders have had an incredible season so far, winning 20 of their 21 games in the Premier League, with the exception being the reverse fixture between United and Liverpool back in October. In that game, Marcus Rashford put us in the lead in the first half, before Adam Lallana equalised five minutes from the end for the visitors.
With the two sets of rivals poised to go head-to-head once again, let's see what awaits us at Anfield...
Will Rashford be fit to face Liverpool?
At the start of a fascinating press conference, Ole provided this update on our no.10's fitness...
TEAM NEWS
Fabinho and Joel Matip returned to training this week and could be in contention to start against Solskjaer’s men, according to manager Jurgen Klopp. Fabinho suffered an ankle ligament injury when playing against Napoli in late November, while Matip hasn't featured since the aforementioned game at Old Trafford in October.
Xherdan Shaqiri, who scored twice in this fixture last season, could also be involved after returning to first-team action during the win over Spurs, following a hamstring injury
Dejan Lovren, Naby Keita and James Milner are unlikely to be involved on Sunday, with the trio still working towards full fitness. Right-back Nathaniel Clyne is still out with a cruciate ligament injury.
FORM GUIDE
Sunday’s home side are in fine form, having won each of their last 12 league matches to establish a 14-point lead over closest challengers Manchester City, who they also have a game in hand over.
Liverpool are also unbeaten in 51 league matches at Anfield, since a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in April 2017. United, have, however, tasted victory on the red side of Stanley Park on 12 occasions in the Premier League, which is more than any other side.
Highlights: United 1 Liverpool 1
Watch Rashford's goal, Mane's disallowed strike, Lallana's equaliser and other key moments from the game...
OUR RECORD AGAINST LIVERPOOL
The matches against Sunday’s opponents have proved to be tight and tense in recent years, with two wins, two draws and two defeats from our previous six visits to Anfield, including a UEFA Europa League last-16 clash in 2016.
Since completing a league double over United in 2013-14, Liverpool have won just one of their 11 Premier League games against us, which came on our last visit in December 2018. On that day, Jesse Lingard cancelled out Sadio Mane's opener, but Shaqiri's late double earned Klopp's side all three points.
Ole reveals a change in captaincy
Watch the moment when Solskjaer confirmed Young's imminent departure and Maguire's appointment as United captain...
THE MANAGER
Jurgen Klopp is the third longest-serving manager in the Premier League, after Bournemouth's Eddie Howe and Burnley's Sean Dyche. The German took charge at Anfield in October 2015 and has played against United on 10 occasions, winning two, losing two and drawing six. Of the 31 sides he has managed against on more than 10 occasions, this is Klopp's worst win ratio.
Top 10 Premier League goals at Anfield
Which is our greatest goal at Anfield? Watch our epic countdown from 10 to one, and see if you agree...
ONE TO WATCH
Sadio Mane has been on form for Liverpool this season and is their top goalscorer with 11 league strikes. In total, he has directly contributed to 26 goals in 29 matches across all competitions for the Anfield outfit.
The Senegalese forward recently won the award for African Player of the Year for 2019 and scored in this fixture last season, controlling Fabinho's chipped pass before firing past David De Gea.
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