The Bigger Picture: Liverpool v United
There are clear parallels to be drawn with Manchester United's upcoming visit to Liverpool and the same fixture last season.
Remarkably, the Anfield date sat in the same position on the schedule in 2016/17 with this latest Merseyside mission taking place only three days earlier than last term's 0-0 draw. Again, it came straight after an international break, allowing the build-up to reach fever pitch.
At least this time, it will be the first Premier League match to be played at the weekend - kicking off at 12:30 BST on Saturday - instead of being the last one as it was in October 2016, pushed back to a Monday night.
Last year's clash marked Jose Mourinho's first time in the Anfield dug-out as United boss and it's fair to say his side was still taking shape at that point with a 1-1 home draw against Stoke City preceding the World Cup qualifiers. By contrast, Jurgen Klopp's men were flying after four wins on the spin, including an impressive 2-1 victory at eventual champions Chelsea, so the ensuing 0-0 draw at Anfield was definitely a creditable result for the visitors, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic having one good opportunity to break the deadlock.
When a statistic about United's possession was put to the boss afterwards, he said: "That was the game that we played. We don't control the game by having the ball all the time. Two shots on target with 65 per cent of possession. You have to be critical of Liverpool. It is their problem, not our problem. Perhaps Liverpool are not the last wonder of the world that the media like to say they are."
At least this time, it will be the first Premier League match to be played at the weekend - kicking off at 12:30 BST on Saturday - instead of being the last one as it was in October 2016, pushed back to a Monday night.
Last year's clash marked Jose Mourinho's first time in the Anfield dug-out as United boss and it's fair to say his side was still taking shape at that point with a 1-1 home draw against Stoke City preceding the World Cup qualifiers. By contrast, Jurgen Klopp's men were flying after four wins on the spin, including an impressive 2-1 victory at eventual champions Chelsea, so the ensuing 0-0 draw at Anfield was definitely a creditable result for the visitors, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic having one good opportunity to break the deadlock.
When a statistic about United's possession was put to the boss afterwards, he said: "That was the game that we played. We don't control the game by having the ball all the time. Two shots on target with 65 per cent of possession. You have to be critical of Liverpool. It is their problem, not our problem. Perhaps Liverpool are not the last wonder of the world that the media like to say they are."
At least eight of last season's starting at XI at Anfield should be available again this weekend and David De Gea, Antonio Valencia, Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly, Daley Blind, Ander Herrera, Ashley Young and Marcus Rashford will all hope to feature in what is always a frenzied occasion.
Herrera was Man of the Match on the night and more recently he looked impressive when coming off the bench against Crystal Palace in the Reds' last fixture. The Spaniard is sure to be more than up for the challenge again and his selection seems likely, given that Marouane Fellaini is set to join Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic as an absentee who actually began the game 12 months ago.
Herrera was Man of the Match on the night and more recently he looked impressive when coming off the bench against Crystal Palace in the Reds' last fixture. The Spaniard is sure to be more than up for the challenge again and his selection seems likely, given that Marouane Fellaini is set to join Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic as an absentee who actually began the game 12 months ago.
Tactics are bound to come into play for what is traditionally one of the most difficult - and emotionally-charged - games on the calendar for United. Confidence among the fans travelling to Liverpool will certainly be higher than last year but there is always a nervousness surrounding the fixture.
Following Wayne Rooney's departure, only one member of the present squad has ever scored for the club at Anfield - Juan Mata - and this is a test of character like no other. This season's leading goalscorer Romelu Lukaku may have netted five times against Liverpool with his previous clubs but he has only won two of his 13 meetings with the Merseysiders.
Yet the mood must be bullish after the excellent start to the campaign and, if De Gea can keep another clean sheet, there is every hope United's in-form attackers can do the job at the other end this time around.
Following Wayne Rooney's departure, only one member of the present squad has ever scored for the club at Anfield - Juan Mata - and this is a test of character like no other. This season's leading goalscorer Romelu Lukaku may have netted five times against Liverpool with his previous clubs but he has only won two of his 13 meetings with the Merseysiders.
Yet the mood must be bullish after the excellent start to the campaign and, if De Gea can keep another clean sheet, there is every hope United's in-form attackers can do the job at the other end this time around.
This is Juanfield Video
This is Juanfield
As you can see, 22 March is a good day for great goals. Here’s Juan’s acrobatic effort against Liverpool, from 2015…
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