Manchester United visit Liverpool on Sunday aiming to strengthen their grip on a top-four place in the Premier League.
With the Carabao Cup safely in the bag, the Red Devils can now turn their attention to qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
The FA Cup and Europa League remain realistic targets, highlighting the rapid progress they have made under manager Erik ten Hag.
However, this weekend also affords United the opportunity of sending a message to a club that has spent recent years crowing about their achievements.
Having spent a few decades firmly in United’s shadow, fans of the Merseyside outfit have been able to reopen debates about which is the biggest club in England.
While many people would have you believe the past few years have been a golden era for Liverpool, the reality is a bit different.
Although they improved under German boss Jurgen Klopp, they have won just four major trophies in the last five seasons. Not bad, but undoubtedly not great.
Their trophy tally during that period has been topped by the seven won by Manchester City – something that has also been hard to watch if you are a United fan.
The Red Devils will undoubtedly seek to redress the balance with City over the next few years, but the short-term aim will be to put Liverpool back in their box.
Sure, they’ve won a handful of trophies in recent times, but the tally of one league title in 30 seasons still sticks out like a sore thumb.
The insufferable boasting about what has effectively been a short-lived revival is already becoming a distant memory given how far Liverpool have fallen off the pace this season.
Sunday is the perfect opportunity for United’s current players to silence their rivals for the foreseeable future before focusing on leaving City in their wake.
