Manchester United will cross swords with Liverpool at Old Trafford in an eagerly awaited Premier League clash on Sunday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is under tremendous pressure after a poor run of form, but the 3-2 win against Atalanta has given him a little bit of breathing room.
Liverpool are in flying at the moment and are second in the Premier League table. They head to Manchester off the back of a terrific 3-2 away victory over Atletico Madrid in their third Champions League group stage game.
With a mouth-watering clash on the horizon, here are the 5 key battles to look forward to at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Manchester United vs Liverpool – 5 Key Battles
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo vs Virgil van Dijk
Let’s start with arguably the biggest battle – Cristiano Ronaldo vs Virgil van Dijk!
Ronaldo, since his sensational return to Manchester United, has five goals in seven games across all formats and has already shown he’s capable of delivering all-important goals. The Portuguese superstar’s movement, flair and athleticism could cause the Liverpool rear-guard plenty of problems.
Up against him will be one of the world’s best defenders in Virgil van Dijk, who has seamlessly slotted into the Liverpool defence after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury suffered last season.
The big Dutchman’s style of intelligent defending while emphasising more on smart positioning and game reading acumen will be tested by Ronaldo. Certainly, the battle between Ronaldo and Van Dijk could go a long way in determining the outcome of the game on Sunday.
#2 Marcus Rashford vs Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold has established himself as arguably the best right-back in the Premier League—a creative, smart player with exquisite crossing ability and set-piece expertise. However, he isn’t great defensively and often struggles to cope with quick and unpredictable wingers, as demonstrated again in Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid.
Marcus Rashford will certainly look forward to challenging Alexander-Arnold with his blistering pace and directness having now returned to full fitness after undergoing a shoulder operation post-Euro 2020.
The Manchester United winger marked his return on Saturday with a goal against Leicester City and will look to pose problems to the Liverpool right-back in front of his home support.
#3 Bruno Fernandes vs Fabinho
Bruno Fernandes offers energy, invention, flair and goals from midfield that not many other midfielders in the Premier League—let alone in the Manchester United squad—possess.
His movement, ability to pick a pass and long-range shooting will require utmost attention from the Liverpool midfield, especially from Fabinho, who has been such a crucial cog in Jürgen Klopp’s system over the last couple of seasons.
The Brazilian’s passing ability, tackling and ball-winning skills and reading of the game are crucial to the way Klopp’s side play and defend. It won’t come as a surprise if Klopp tasks the Brazilian with subduing Fernandes on Sunday.
#4 Aaron Wan-Bissaka vs Sadio Mane
Arguably the best 1v1 defender in the Premier League, Aaron Wan-Bissaka will look to provide width down the right for Manchester United but he will have to be wary of Sadio Mane’s presence on the same flank.
Mane has heavily contributed to Liverpool’s strong start to the season, and his searing pace, unpredictable movement and predatory instincts in front of the goal make him a big threat at the weekend.
It’ll be interesting to see how Wan-Bissaka handles with Mane at Old Trafford.
#5 Mohamed Salah vs Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire
With 12 goals in 11 appearances across all formats, including a brace in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, Mohamed Salah is breathing fire at the moment and will pose the biggest threat to Manchester United.
The Egyptian is the man powering the Reds’ free-scoring attack and considering his form at the moment, Solskjaer’s side will need to be extra attentive to him.
Luke Shaw was the best left-back in the division last term but he hasn’t had a great start to the new campaign. He was poor against Leicester City over the weekend as he lacked cohesion with skipper Harry Maguire on Manchester United’s left-hand side of the defence.
After a chastening afternoon at the King Power Stadium, Solskjaer will expect Shaw and Maguire to deliver strong performances at the weekend and keep Salah in check and avoid giving the Liverpool star too much time and space on the ball to hurt the Red Devils.