Liverpool vs Man United: Slot seeks response, Amorim fighting for his job at Anfield

Anfield forms the backdrop for the latest edition of one of the fiercest rivalries in English football as Liverpool take on Manchester United in a Premier League classic.

Despite United’s fall from grace, this fixture still carries immense weight, with pride, history and bragging rights on the line on Saturday late afternoon.

Unlike their bitter rivals, Liverpool enjoyed plenty of success under former boss Jurgen Klopp, whose successor, Arne Slot, led the club to a record-equalling 20th title in England’s top flight last season.

Despite Slot’s outstanding success in his first year at the club, Liverpool’s title defence has not gone to plan.

It’s fair to say that October’s international break came at an opportune moment for the Reds, handing the Dutch manager a fortnight to rally his troops after an underwhelming three-game losing streak.

Man Utd eased past newcomers Sunderland 2-0 at Old Trafford on the eve of the international break, throwing under-pressure boss Ruben Amorim probably one last lifeline.

However, another disappointing result on Merseyside could put the final nail in the 40-year-old’s coffin as the Red Devils manager.

On paper, this looks like a mammoth task for Liverpool, yet they’ve made this rivalry a one-sided affair in recent years.

Except for a 2-1 defeat at the Theatre of Dreams in August 2022, the Reds have gone unbeaten in 13 of their last 14 league matches against United (W7, D6).

Particularly dominant at Anfield, Slot’s charges have avoided defeat in their last nine home meetings with the Red Devils in the Premier League (W5, D4).

As a result, they’re on the brink of becoming only the second side in the history of English football to hold Man Utd winless in 10+ consecutive league games on the road.

While halting a three-match losing run looks like a virtual certainty, Liverpool would be naive to take anything for granted after drawing their last two top-flight duels on this ground.

As aforementioned, Liverpool’s form descended into chaos before the break.

However, it’s worth noting that each of those three defeats arrived away from home, with two coming in the Premier League, resulting in the Reds dropping to second in the table.

Only a point adrift of early pacesetters Liverpool, Slot’s men are desperate to return to winning ways at Anfield, where they’ve only lost two of their last 53 league outings (W41, D10).

Conviction remains an issue for the reigning champions.

None of their last nine fixtures yielded a multi-goal margin, highlighting the potential for another nerve-shredding contest.

Given the circumstances, there’s no doubt that Slot would sign up for a narrow win if it meant restoring momentum and keeping his side within touching distance of the Gunners.

All eyes will be on Liverpool’s predicted top scorer this season , Mohamed Salah, who has netted more goals (13) than any other player against Man Utd in Premier League history.

Despite Liverpool’s pre-match favouritism, Amorim has no margin for error if he is to keep his job, with Man Utd already lagging six points behind Arsenal.

Consistency has plagued United’s early season, as evidenced by their patchy form across their last five league games. Indeed, they alternated between winning and losing during that stretch (W3, L2).

Still, a precious home victory over Sunderland puts the Red Devils in a position to claim back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since the 2023/24 season.

That could prove easier said than done, knowing they have failed to win any of their last eight away league matches (D2, L6) on their way to posting their longest winless run in top-flight road action since 1989.

One consolation could come from their head-to-head record against Liverpool across the last five games , as well as last year’s league performance at Anfield that ended in a 2-2 draw.

Slow out of the blocks, Amorim’s side found themselves on the losing end at half-time in five of their last seven league outings outside Old Trafford, underscoring the importance of hitting the ground running from the start.