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It’s not what it once was — a game that could decide the title — but Liverpool vs. Manchester United is still one of the most noteworthy clashes in the world of soccer.
There’s little doubt this is the FUBO Game of the Week. Aside from having two of the biggest supporter bases in the world, they’re still two financial behemoths and, while it’s easy to be cynical about City winning the title every season while their 115 financial charges hang in the balance, the consequence of getting into the Top Four and making the Champions League is still a weighty proposition for everyone else in the Premier League.
This year, Liverpool is in the Champions League, United aren’t. Last year, United was in and Liverpool wasn’t. And Liverpool were going toe-to-toe-to-toe with Arsenal and City until its season came apart at Old Trafford, being bounced out of the FA Cup in the quarterfinals and then three weeks later dropped points there in the league with a 2-2 draw.
Jurgen Klopp is gone and Arne Slot visits Old Trafford for the first time with his Liverpool squad as one of only four teams with a perfect record after two games. United is coming off a disappointing 2-1 loss to Brighton (one of the four teams with two wins) following a somewhat-fortunate opening-day win over Fulham with an injury-time goal.
Form certainly didn’t matter in this fixture last season and it hasn’t over the years.
The United crowd will be up for it and so will the players. This is a different Liverpool than under Klopp — they look much firmer in defence, giving up the fewest expected goal chances in the league through the first two games. And they still look dangerous in attack with Mo Salah looking in his best shape.
United still is a work in progress and it’ll desperately want to stay within touching distance of Liverpool. With the game at home, they can ill afford to fall six points back of their rivals. The competition to get back into the Champions League will be fierce with arguably nine teams feeling they have a legitimate chance to finish in those top four spots.
There’s also the matter of an international break following this week and going into a two-week stretch with the taste of a loss to a bitter rival in your mouth is something neither club wants to swallow.
2. Deadline day madness
In comparison to past years, the spending in the Premier League has been fairly modest — so far.
But you can expect a frenzied Friday as the transfer deadline comes. Manchester City apparently is chasing a ‘big name’ to replace Julian Alvarez, who it sold to Atletico Madrid.
Liverpool has come to the table late, securing Italian winger Federico Chiesa on a sweet cut-price deal and many expect them to still go after a defender.
United has just brought in Manuel Ugarte in midfield and their name is linked to a number of deals, including a potential swap of Jadon Sancho and Raheem Sterling with Chelsea.
Brentford has kept striker Ivan Toney in his street clothes for the first two matches as he has one year left on his contract, refuses to sign a new one and the Bees don’t want to lose him for nothing next summer. United has been linked with Toney, as have Arsenal and several clubs in Europe.
Chelsea always want to spend and may look at outgoings with a bloated 40-plus-player first team. And don’t dismiss Newcastle trying to add to juice their chances of getting into the top echelon.
3. Blockbuster weekend on tap
A quick glance at the schedule and yes, Liverpool vs. Manchester United jumps out — but it’s a sneaky great slate of fixtures before the first break in the league.
There’s Arsenal vs. Brighton: Both undefeated, both on plus-4 goal difference, both have looked sharp. Can Brighton hang at the top? They’ve flirted with it before and getting even a draw at Arsenal sets down an early marker.
Then you’ve got Newcastle versus Spurs. Both have four points after two games, Spurs may have looked disappointing in their first game, a 1-1 draw with Leicester, but looked devastating in a 4-0 demolition of Everton.
Newcastle was lucky to avoid a late defeat in a 1-1 draw with a game Bournemouth squad, but it’s at home and with so many contenders for the top spots, it can’t afford to drop points against another team it is battling for the top European spots, which bring in the excessive TV revenue that allows teams like Newcastle to spend what they want within the rules.
4. Everton is in trouble
I honestly thought Everton playing their last season at Goodison Park would be a boon for the Toffees. But I’ve been to Everton several times, it’s such a passionate and edgy crowd.
What should be an emotional booster can often turn when things go wrong, the crowd can be brutal and have their home players looking cringing about the reaction should they make a mistake.
They’re rock bottom with no wins, minus-7 goal difference and, after getting walloped at Spurs last week, several players were verbally assaulted by fans on the way to the train home.
This isn’t new. Several board members were threatened, sworn at and chased from their seats last season.
Academy talent Anthony Gordon forced through a move to Newcastle two seasons ago after being hounded and abused on the way to his car.
They’re a very passionate bunch, Everton fans, but if they go behind to Bournemouth this weekend, just watch the crowd get nasty.
5. Champions League draw is done
There’s a new format this year that of course means more games. Not groups, but a league format. So it’s hard to tell who got a great draw or a tough one.
Here’s the matches lined up for the EPL teams:
Manchester City: Inter Milan (h), PSG (a), Club Brugge (h), Juventus (a), Sparta Prague (h), Feyenoord (h), Sporting Lisbon (a), Bratislava (a).
Liverpool: Real Madrid (h), Leipzig (a), Leverkusen (h), Milan (a), Lille (h), PSV (a), Bologna (h) and Girona (a).
Arsenal: PSG (h), Inter Milan (a) Atalanta (a), Shakhtar Donetsk (h), Dinamo Zagreb (h), Sporting Lisbon (a), Monaco (h), Girona (h).
Aston Villa: Bayern Munich (h), RB Leipzig (a), Juventus (h), Club Brugge (a), Celtic (h), Young Boys (a), Bologna (h), AS Monaco (a).
This week’s games
Saturday: Arsenal v. Brighton; Brentford v. Southampton; Everton v. Bournemouth; Ipswich v. Fulham; Leicester v. Aston Villa; Nottingham Forest v. Wolves; West Ham v. Manchester City.
Sunday: Chelsea v. Crystal Palace; Newcastle v. Tottenham; Manchester United v. Liverpool.