Manchester United are currently on a two-match losing streak and they face a huge challenge when they face Liverpool on the road in the Premier League this weekend.
The Red Devils have not won against Jurgen Klopp’s side at Anfield since his first season in charge in 2016. In the last eight meetings, United have lost five times with three goalless draws.
United will be aiming to end the winless run at the stadium on Sunday evening and here are three things they must do to ensure that they beat their arch-rivals.
Target Tsimikas, Alexander-Arnold & Endo
The Reds are currently top of the table with 37 points on the board, but they have not always been convincing defensively. The club regularly concede the first goal.
Kostas Tsimikas is one of the weak links in the left-back position. The Greek is error-prone when put under pressure and United must close him down whenever he has possession.
The same can be said for Wataru Endo, who has yet to adapt to the intensity of the Premier League. Crystal Palace’s midfield had the better of him on a few occasions last weekend.
Trent Alexander-Arnold should be another potential target for United. He is not the best when facing up against a quality dribbler and Alejandro Garnacho could give him a hard time.
Alexander-Arnold also tends to get out of position when on the attack and United must dispossess him quickly in such situations to capitalise on the defensive void in the Reds backline.
Have an extra man on Mohamed Salah
Salah has been in exceptional form for the Merseyside giants this campaign. He has registered 14 goals and eight assists from just 22 appearances across all competitions for the club.
The Egyptian is adept at turning around games for Liverpool as seen last weekend. Whoever starts at left-back for United, most likely to be Diogo Dalot, needs extra protection on Sunday.
Garnacho needs to be vigilant at the back when out of possession. The Argentine obviously likes to stamp his authority in the final third but needs to do more defensive work for his team.
If he doesn’t Salah could easily dominate proceedings and have a field day. The attacker bagged two goals and two assists in the 7-0 rout of United at Anfield earlier this year.
Score a goal at Anfield
United have had a dreadful recent record at the home of their arch-rivals. They have not tasted a victory since 2016 but have also struggled to find the back of the net with one goal in the last eight games.
This is an embarrassing statistic for a club of United’s stature. They are currently on a four-match goalless streak at Anfield and must return to scoring ways at the stadium to get a positive result.
The Red Devils have played out three goalless league draws at Anfield over the last seven years. If United can get an early goal, they could look to defend their advantage.
IUnited’s misfiring attack must turn up for the contest without the presence of their talismanic captain Bruno Fernandes, who is suspended for the game.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
