The Big Match Previewed - Manchester United vs Liverpool

The jewel in the crown of English football. It is the big one. The two most successful sides in English football reignite their rivalry today. Manchester United, one point above the relegation zone, play Liverpool, five points clear at the top.

In my entire lifetime, this match has never been so heavily weighted in Liverpool's favour. The Reds have received injury boosts this week, with Alisson and Joel Matip declaring themselves fit and Manchester United have been inundated with injuries as Paul Pogba is out and playing David de Gea and Anthony Martial would be a huge risk.

Another big Liverpool advantage is their obvious quality over United. They are top and haven't dropped a point this season for a reason. Klopp has built an amazing squad and one that Solskjaer can only dream of having. That is also another plus point for Liverpool - their manager. All the pressure is on Liverpool. This is the worst Manchester United side for about 30 years. But you can rely on Klopp to take all that pressure away and make the players treat it like an ordinary match. Calmness is required in matches of this magnitude.

For Solskjaer, its just another trip down memory lane with Sir Alex Ferguson being invited down to training. It says a lot about Solskjaer that even he feels he can't motivate his side enough to be up for the biggest game of the season. He has to rely on someone who isn't even part of their coaching staff. Nostalgia is not what is required for United to win this match.

After Liverpool's miracle comeback against Barcelona, I wrote an article about the difference between the Reds and United. Liverpool were only going to go up and United in the opposite direction. It's taken Liverpool 30 years to reestablish themselves as England's best side after their period of dominance. It will be the same for United but probably not as long due to the finance now in the game. It will be a long time before Manchester United start challenging again and it won't be under Solskjaer.

Liverpool will win. There's no other alternative. It would be their first at Old Trafford since 2014. United will try their best but it won't be enough. This fixture rarely fails to produce a memorable match anymore so I'll go 2-0 Liverpool. Firmino and Mane.

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