After a barren draw at Anfield last Sunday, the fans of the most successful teams in English football will hope for improvement on their performances as we await the second face-off between Liverpool and Manchester United.
This time, the Reds will travel to Old Trafford in the fourth round of the FA Cup and the winner will face West Ham.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will see the game as another opportunity to show his critics how his team has progressed into becoming a title challenger and also fight for other honours this season.
While Jurgen Klopp will certainly be keen on advancing to get his side back to winning ways following a surprise slump in form which has seen them struggle – they’ve failed to score in four Premier League games in 2021. The Premier League champions are desperate for a reaction having lost their 68-game unbeaten home streak to Burnley on wednesday.
However, records show that United are the better side when it comes to playing the Kop in the FA Cup. Seeing how things have unfolded for both clubs this season, United could just be edging this tie after 90 minutes.
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The stakes are high for this game, hence Solskjaer is expected to name a strong starting eleven.
Marcus Rashford should return alongside Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba behind Edinson Cavani. Scott McTominay, who scored the winner against Watford in the third round, could get the nod in midfield, though his partner’s spot is up for grabs.
For Liverpool, it’s expedient for Klopp to return Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino to his starting XI, though Sadio Mané could drop out.
Both full-backs (Alexander Arnold and Andy Robertson) obviously need rest but given the defensive crisis at Liverpool it would be tough to rotate adequately for such an important game.
Prediction: Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool
