Liverpool v Manchester United preview: Team news, head-to-head, stats and prediction

TEAM NEWS

Liverpool have no new injury concerns for the visit of arch rivals Manchester United.

Arthur Melo, Thiago, Luis Diaz and Joe Gomez are all still sidelined.

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw will be assessed after he missed the FA Cup win against West Ham United through injury.

Jadon Sancho was unavailable in midweek because of illness, while Donny van de Beek, Christian Eriksen and Anthony Martial remain out.

CHRIS SUTTON'S PREDICTION

Manchester United were finding it tough against West Ham in the FA Cup on Wednesday but they changed the game when they brought on Casemiro and Marcus Rashford, and went up through the gears.

Liverpool don't seem able to do that at the moment and the turnaround - for different reasons, good and bad - for both teams since the start of season has been unbelievable really.

Jurgen Klopp's side have kept a couple of clean sheets in a row now, against Crystal Palace and Wolves, which was important for them but it's really not that big a deal because neither of those teams offer much in attack, do they?

Liverpool did the same last month when they beat Everton and 10-man Newcastle without conceding, but then they got hammered at home by Real Madrid.

Put it this way, I don't think it means Liverpool will keep Rashford out on Sunday. They get dominated in midfield and are vulnerable at the back, and United will take advantage of that.

Prediction: 1-2

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Liverpool are unbeaten in six home league games against Manchester United (W3, D3) since a 1-0 loss in January 2016. It's their longest run without defeat against the Red Devils at Anfield since a sequence of nine matches between 1970 and 1979.
• Manchester United's record of eight Premier League doubles against Liverpool is their highest tally against any side. They can beat them twice in the same season for the first time since 2015-16.
• United have scored just one goal in their last seven games at Anfield in all competitions. They could fail to score in four consecutive visits for only the second time, and first since 1992.
• United have won only four of their 17 games against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool in all competitions (D7, L6).

Liverpool

• Liverpool have won three of their last four Premier League games, after failing to win any of the first four matches of 2023.
• The Reds can remain unbeaten in five consecutive league matches for the first time this season.
• Liverpool have kept a clean sheet in four consecutive Premier League games for the first time since April. They had kept five clean sheets in their opening 20 league fixtures this season.
• They have won 27 points at home and 12 away this season - the biggest differential of any team.
• Virgil van Dijk has scored 20 goals in the Premier League, the most of any central defender in the competition since he joined Southampton in 2015.
• Mohamed Salah is one goal short of equalling Robbie Fowler's Premier League club record of 128.
• Salah has scored at least 20 goals in all competitions in all six of his seasons with Liverpool.
• Salah has scored eight Premier League goals versus Manchester United - only Alan Shearer, with 10, has more.
• Diogo Jota failed to score in his last 26 appearances in all competitions, last netting in a 2-2 draw at Manchester City in the Premier League on 10 April.

Manchester United

• Manchester United have lost just one of their last 11 Premier League games (W8, D2), a 3-2 defeat at Arsenal in January.
• United have earned 23 points since the World Cup - no side has won more points during this period.
• They could reach 50 points after 25 Premier League matches for only the second time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. They recorded 53 under Jose Mourinho in 2017-18 and went onto finish second.
• United have won six of their 12 top-flight away fixtures this campaign, equalling their total number of away victories last season.
• The Red Devils have scored in each of their last 15 Premier League games, the longest current run in the competition and their best such run since a sequence of 17 matches between February and October 2020.
• Marcus Rashford has scored six goals against Liverpool since the start of the 2017-18 season - the joint-most of any player, along with Harry Kane. However, Rashford is yet to score at Anfield.
• Rashford has scored 10 goals in his last 10 Premier League games, netting in each of his last five appearances. Only three different Manchester United players have scored in six in a row - Ruud van Nistelrooy (on three separate occasions), Eric Cantona (April 1996) and Cristiano Ronaldo (April 2008).
• Bruno Fernandes is one short of 100 career league goals.

Predict Liverpool's starting XI for their next fixture - remember you can change the formation!

Predict Manchester United's starting XI for their next fixture - remember you can change the formation!