"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track from their 1983 album War. Sunday will see all-out war between Man United and Liverpool with the prospect of blood red card's being brandished a real possibility.
The league's two most successful team will collide for the 170th time when they meet at Old Trafford on Sunday. United have the historical upper hand and many feel they are favourites for this one too. The Mancunian side have won 79 of these titanic tussles while Liverpool are some way behind with 65 victories. Of the last ten matches between the sides, United have won 5 and lost three with the rest being draws. Of those matches, only one has seen a goalless draw which suggests there will definitely be goals come Sunday.
Jose Mourinho and his side are bang in form having won their last 9 games in all competitions, their best run since 2009. His star players Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba have had a lot to do with that but the key has been Michael Carrick. While Pogba and Zlatan have been involved in 66% of United's goals, the team have yet to lose a game this season when Carrick has played. His inclusion in the side has stabilised the midfield and given Pogba the freedom to play. They will be key to unlocking a Liverpool defence which has only kept six clean sheets all season and favours outscoring opponents over defending.
In contrast, Liverpool have hit a bit of a speed wobble after a bright start to the season. Two draws against Sunderland and Plymouth were followed by a loss to Southampton on Wednesday. This was the first time Klopp’s men have failed to win in three consecutive games as the frenetic December period proved to be a difficult proposition. The loss of Sadio Mane to the Africa Cup Of Nations will be felt by Liverpool as they seek to get one over their rivals. Mane is their top scorer in all competitions with 9 goals while strikers Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi have only managed 6 and 7 goals respectively. Klopp will be hoping that the return of influential midfielder Philippe Coutinho gives them the edge they have lacked in recent times. Coutinho was pivotal to their fluidity in midfield and gave the team their dynamism.
Liverpool start the weekend in second place, but victory would see Manchester United move to within two points. This fixture has a history of red cards being shown. Who can forget Steven Gerrard’s red in his last derby against United in 2015 or the Carragher and Neville clash in 2010? This fixture always has molten lava bubbling beneath the surface and it won’t take much to see it spill over onto the pitch. This will be feisty
Man Utd - 2.11 Draw - 3.44 Liverpool - 3.64