After defeats to Brighton and Brentford in their opening two games of the season, Erik ten Hag’s side are struggling at the moment and one of the best teams in world football arriving on their doorstep is the last thing United need. If last season’s results are anything to go by, Old Trafford could witness a real forging. But while most of the football world was talking about United’s debacle on Monday, another twist came in the form of Liverpool dropping more points at home to Crystal Palace. Image: Manchester United are bottom of the Premier League standings after two defeats from both Suddenly, Jurgen Klopp’s side are themselves without a win in their opening two matches – and a win for United on Monday night would not only ease some of the problems but also move them above their fiercest rivals in the table . So do this United team, desperate for confidence on the pitch and in their lowest ever Premier League position, really stand a chance against Klopp’s Reds?
Well, Liverpool aren’t off to a good start
Image: Liverpool have had a tendency to concede the first goal in recent weeks
For Liverpool to drop regular points so early in the season may seem strange to many, but a trend going back to last season could be behind this staggered start to the campaign. In their last nine matches in all competitions – not including the Community Shield victory over Manchester City in the pre-season – Liverpool have conceded the first goal of the game in eight of them, the only exception being the goalless FA Cup final against Chelsea . the Reds had to win on penalties. They have also conceded first in their last six Premier League outings. To put it simply, Liverpool have a tendency to start games slowly. Each of the last nine games has had different patterns: either Liverpool deservedly fall behind early – they have conceded in the opening 15 minutes in four of their last nine games – or fail to capitalize on their early dominance and concede against the run of play game. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player Mohamed Salah’s five goals against Manchester United in 2021/22 made him the only player in Premier League history to score five goals against the Red Devils in a single season. The reasons for this are unknown as there are so many factors that could contribute to this. Last season, one could point to the fatigue Liverpool’s players may have felt – they played 64 games – but it’s important to note that they remained unbeaten in all but one of those games over 90 minutes, so they had the energy to bounce back . There have also been individual errors in the last nine games, particularly in their high-line back four, while Liverpool have faced many strong teams in big venues – such as knockout games and cup finals – in this run. Old Trafford can certainly provide another challenging environment on Monday night, especially with Liverpool already facing the pressure to go top of the table. Picture: Liverpool have started this season the way they ended the last, as they did not start games well “Unfortunately, every week, [there is] a different situation, a different team,” Klopp said when asked about the poor start to games ahead of their most recent game. “We have to be ready for all of them.” United, 4-0 down against Brentford after 35 minutes last week, know how disastrous a positive start can be. Liverpool’s sluggish start in recent months should be front and center when they come out of the tunnel on Monday.
Klopp is also missing several players
Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher discuss Darwin Nunez’s red card for a headbutt on Joachim Andersen in Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at Anfield. Much has been made of morale in the United camp over the past two weeks. But all is not well at Liverpool, especially when it comes to the medical room. “It was like we had a witch in the building,” said Klopp, who is finding life “difficult” with so many absent from his first team at this early stage of the season. Liverpool’s main concern is midfield, with Thiago Alcantara out for another month and Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also on the treatment table. That leaves Jordan Henderson, Harvey Elliott and James Milner to support Fabinho in midfield, with Naby Keita understood to be unhappy with his lack of game time at Liverpool. Meanwhile, Joel Matip is a doubt at the back, so Nat Phillips and Joe Gomez will compete for a place alongside Virgil van Dijk in central defense – while there is a serious lack of a striker with Darwin Nunez suspended following his red card against Crystal Palace, Diogo. Jota is still injured and Roberto Firmino has just returned from injury and is not at 100%. Liverpool may have a strong squad – and a number of players could return for the Manchester United clash – but Klopp’s side will not be in the best shape they brought with them when the two sides played these derby games last season .
Are Liverpool getting more wasteful?
Image: Liverpool have been more wasteful in recent months compared to the start of the year
One reason that could explain Liverpool’s slight difference in form is a lack of clinical finishing. Klopp’s side have failed to score in the first half in six of their last nine games in all competitions – but a closer look at Liverpool’s game shows they haven’t changed their style of play at all. Since the start of this challenging run since early May, Liverpool have been just as good on the ball and creating more chances compared to the first half of 2022 – but the only difference is the quality of their finishing. Image: Liverpool’s clinical finishing has slipped in recent months Their shooting accuracy and goals per 90% have dropped significantly since the start of May and they are converting just 1.63 chances per game – despite creating an average of 16 chances per game. With Nunez ruled out and Firmino and Jota lacking match clarity and not at 100%, Liverpool may need to find some special inspiration at Old Trafford if they are to rectify this problem.
However, there is the Salah factor
Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player FREE WATCH: Highlights from Liverpool’s Premier League win over Manchester United Even though Liverpool have injuries and minor concerns about their finishing, they still have the big asset in Mohamed Salah. Last season, the Egyptian winger caused United plenty of problems, scoring five goals and adding two assists in the two games, which the Reds won 9-0 on aggregate. While Salah’s goalscoring output dipped slightly at the end of last season, especially after the Africa Cup of Nations, the Liverpool No.11 has started this season in dynamic fashion. Image: Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring Liverpool’s second goal at Fulham After bagging a goal and an assist on the opening weekend of the season at Fulham, Salah created eight chances on his own in the draw with Crystal Palace – the most by any Premier League player in almost 12 months. There will be a lot of pressure on Salah’s shoulders in terms of creativity and goalscoring on Monday night, but the Liverpool man showed he can handle it.
