(Football news) There can be no doubt that a match between Manchester United and Liverpool is the biggest in English football. The two are the most successful teams historically and the rivalry is as bitter as it gets. However, in the last season or so, the fixtures between these two sides have become one sided with Liverpool being at the top of their game and Manchester United struggling to keep up with their rivals. This time around, both the clubs are struggling with Manchester United currently 19th, having lost both their matches and Liverpool are 12th, getting two draws from their opening two games. 

Manchester United began their Premier League campaign at Old Trafford with a 2-1 defeat to Brighton and were then humiliated by Brentford 4-0 last week, conceding all the goals in the first half. The last thing Manchester United needed was a match against their most bitter rivals who are desperate for a win themselves and Erik ten Hag is well aware of how disastrous it would be for his side to lose three matches in a row, especially without a single win or a draw. The club have recently announced that they have reached an agreement with Real Madrid for Casemiro but the Brazilian will not feature in this fixture as his medical, personal terms and visa are yet to be finalised. There may be a possibility of another signing before August 31st as Ajax’s Antony has been heavily linked to the club but no agreement is in place as things stand.

While the Premier League table in its first few weeks is never an accurate representation of where the teams will be at the end of the season, the race for top four has never been more competitive and a slow start only means Manchester United will need to go on a winning run to keep their hopes alive. A game of this nature is more than pride as both Manchester United and Liverpool will want to finally kick-start their season and the Red Devils would like nothing more than to beat their bitter rivals at home especially after being humiliated last season. It will be interesting to see if Cristiano Ronaldo will start this match as his future remains uncertain and it could very well be his last ever game for Manchester United. 

In team news, Manchester United will welcome the return of Anthony Martial who has recovered from a hamstring problem while Harry Maguire could be dropped for Raphael Varane. After an impressive second half against Brentford, new signing Tyler Malacia could also feature instead of Luke Shaw at left back with the midfield trio of Fred, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes expected to retain their places. The likes of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford are also expected to feature in the starting XI, flanking Ronaldo. As for Liverpool, Darwin Nunes is currently suspended after receiving a red card in the last match which means Roberto Firmino should feature in the team. Naby Keita has recovered from illness and is back in the squad but Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara, Ibrahima Konate, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsay and Caoimhin Kelleher are all still injured. Despite Manchester United’s bad form, a draw seems like the most likely result in this fixture.

Also read: Arsenal and Tottenham secure wins to maintain unbeaten start