Premier League Round 8: Liverpool faces off against Man United

The clash between these two teams is historically the biggest match in the birthplace of football. This ensures a fierce contest where theoretical strengths and weaknesses might become irrelevant.

Liverpool and Manchester United are both prestigious clubs, but both have been under significant pressure since the season began. MU has not won an away game since March, while Liverpool has just suffered three consecutive defeats across all competitions. Given this inconsistent form, this could be a chance for Coach Ruben Amorim’s squad to cause an upset against Arne Slot’s team on their trip to Merseyside.

The 2-0 victory over Sunderland in the previous round gave Coach Amorim a “template” to apply when visiting Anfield, where MU has not won since Wayne Rooney’s lone goal in 2016. This might be the perfect moment for MU to break that streak as Liverpool is currently struggling with three straight losses in all competitions.

Man United has some notable positives. Bryan Mbeumo is showcasing impressive speed and counterattacking skills, while Bruno Fernandes remains the creative heartbeat in midfield. Additionally, Sesko’s goal-scoring form is showing signs of improvement, providing the visitors with encouraging signs ahead of their trip to Anfield.

If MU can pull off a surprise at Anfield, they will reduce the gap to the hosts to just 2 points and officially enter the race at the top of the table.

Both Liverpool and Manchester United are struggling defensively. They have committed the most individual errors in the league, collectively conceding 5 goals from direct mistakes. MU leads with 3 errors causing goals, while Liverpool has 2.

The focal point of this encounter is likely to be Salah – who has scored in 10 of the last 11 matches between the two teams. However, the Egyptian striker’s form this season has noticeably declined.

Meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes remains MU’s primary creative force. Despite frequent criticism for his lax defending, the Portuguese midfielder leads the Premier League this season in chances created and entries into the opposition’s penalty area. Fernandes continues to be central to the Red Devils’ play.

Before this big match, MU received a major boost as right-back Noussair Mazraoui is nearly fully recovered from an injury that sidelined him for almost a month. Under Coach Ruben Amorim, Mazraoui was indispensable last season, playing in 38 out of 42 matches.

The defender’s versatility allows Amorim to adjust tactics flexibly, as Mazraoui can play as a right wing-back or right-sided center-back. This season, the former Bayern Munich player has only appeared 3 times. His return is extremely important, though new signing Matheus Cunha might remain on the bench for this crucial game.

Coach Arne Slot might lose several key players due to fitness issues. Notably, center-back Ibrahima Konate suffered a recurring thigh injury during the defeat to Chelsea.

Ryan Gravenberch replaced Konate at center-back last weekend, but Slot might not have that option now since Gravenberch was substituted at halftime during the Netherlands’ win over Finland in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

A noteworthy point is that Coach Ruben Amorim confirmed he will not change his philosophy. This means he has been and will continue to deploy a three-center-back formation for MU. Many believe MU’s players are not accustomed to this system. However, stats show Liverpool often struggles against teams using three center-backs, as seen clearly with Crystal Palace — the team that convincingly beat Liverpool and triggered their recent three-match losing streak. From the end of last season through the Community Shield and into this season, Palace has not lost to Liverpool in their last three encounters.

Since the start of last season, Liverpool has won 5 matches against opponents using three center-backs, all narrow victories by a single goal, even though the opponents were not particularly strong (1-0 wins over Burnley and Palace; 3-2 over Southampton; 2-1 against West Ham and Wolverhampton).

In three of those matches, Liverpool scored the decisive goal after the 83rd minute, with two of those winners coming from penalties. Amorim’s MU also performed well, drawing 2-2 at Liverpool’s Anfield last season.

The Liverpool versus Man United game will kick off at 10:30 PM on October 19.

Premier League Round 8 Schedule

October 19

8:00 PM: Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa.

10:30 PM: Liverpool vs Manchester United.

October 21

2:00 AM: West Ham United vs Brentford.