Man Utd have an advantage over Liverpool as Erik ten Hag takes first trip to Anfield
This weekend, Manchester United will visit Anfield feeling very confident and aware that they have the ability to ruin their biggest rivals’ chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
Additionally, as the recent winners of the Carabao Cup, they hold an advantageous position over Liverpool for their upcoming match on Sunday.
The Red Devils are currently experiencing a great period of success after winning the League Cup against Newcastle at Wembley, defeating Barcelona to reach the last 16 of the Europa League, advancing to the FA Cup quarter-finals, and potentially emerging as strong contenders for the Premier League title. This successful two-week run has propelled them to new heights.
Under the guidance of Erik ten Hag, Old Trafford has seen a remarkable transformation since their initial defeats to Brighton and Brentford at the start of the Premier League season.
If United can secure a victory at Anfield, where they haven’t won since 2016, it would mark yet another significant achievement in the club’s revival and demonstrate their determination to win the Premier League.
The manager of United has an advantageous position over his Liverpool counterpart, Jurgen Klopp, as he was able to rest many of his key players during the team’s Wednesday night FA Cup victory over West Ham.
It is expected that only four of the eleven players who started in the match against West Ham will also start the match on Merseyside against Liverpool. These four players are David de Gea, Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, and Wout Weghorst. However, there is a possibility that Aaron Wan-Bissaka might be chosen instead of Dalot to face Diogo Jota or Cody Gakpo.
Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, and Marcus Rashford all played as substitutes, with Casemiro playing for 45 minutes and Martinez and Rashford playing for the last 30 minutes of the match. Despite this, they are expected to be in a better physical condition than their opponents and have higher levels of confidence.
On the same night, Liverpool played against Wolves in the Premier League and had to field their strongest team from the beginning. They did not make any substitutions until after scoring the first goal, with Jota being substituted after 76 minutes, followed by Stefan Bajcetic three minutes later. Darwin Nunez and Trent Alexander-Arnold were also substituted in the final minutes of the match.
Despite their recent strenuous activities, United’s players should be less tired compared to Ten Hag’s team who are going through a busy schedule. However, the momentum of Ten Hag’s team’s recent victories should prevent them from getting fatigued, especially mentally, since they have the motivation of winning additional trophies this season.
Ten Hag has been skillful in his recent tactics and aims to create a strategy to irritate the hosts and expose their weaknesses, possibly by using Rashford and Jadon Sancho on counter-attacks. United have not been victorious at Anfield for seven years and want to achieve their first season double against Liverpool since 2015-16.
This will be the first time the Dutch coach visits United’s rivals’ home ground, and obtaining all three points, with the knowledge of its impact on both teams, would be a significant boost. Ten Hag will have to utilize United’s advantage to the fullest.
Man Utd have an advantage over Liverpool as Erik ten Hag takes first trip to Anfield
