Table of Contents
- Liverpool vs Manchester United Preview
- How Should United Target Van Dijk?
- How Can United Win the Midfield Battle?
- Should Amorim Imitate Crystal Palace's Strategy?
- What Has Happened to Mo Salah?
Liverpool may be facing challenges, but Manchester United will need to perform at their absolute best to secure a result at Anfield this Sunday.
The reigning Premier League champions are currently on a three-match losing streak across all competitions.
Mohamed Salah has scored only twice in the Premier League this seasonCredit: Reuters
Ruben Amorim will be aiming for victory over LiverpoolCredit: Reuters
In their last match, United's side experienced a late defeat to Chelsea in West London due to Estevao’s remarkable performance.
However, United managed to win their last game before the international break, defeating Brentford 2-0 at Old Trafford.
This victory alleviated some much-needed pressure from the shoulders of their manager.
If the coach can build on that success with a win on Merseyside, United could climb the Premier League table.
Now, our tactics analyst explains how United can outsmart their fierce rivals...
How Should United Target Van Dijk?
Virgil van Dijk has been one of the best center-backs in Premier League history.
However, in recent matches, the Dutch defender has shown some vulnerability in Liverpool's backline.
He remains a top-class player with exceptional positional awareness, which is evident in his ability to win aerial duels—more so than this time last season.
This decline may be attributed to teams becoming more direct against Liverpool and the defensive partnership of Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
Virgil van Dijk has been a constant presence this season
However, the duo tends to stay close together rather than marking attackers individually.
This strategy could allow United’s offensive players, such as Marcus Rashford and Antony, to exploit the gaps.
Against Chelsea, this was evident when Moises Caicedo scored from distance as neither defender closed him down.
United can also exploit the space created by using Sesko to manipulate Konate's positioning.
This would enable either Bruno Fernandes or another player to take advantage of the available space.
He is currently leading in aerial duels
How Can United Win the Midfield Battle?
United is up against one of the strongest groups of midfielders in Europe at Liverpool.
Nonetheless, they could gain the upper hand by maximizing the potential of their key players.
If selected in the starting XI, he could be crucial with his ability to break lines through his passing.
This would be essential for initiating attacks for United after regaining possession.
Bruno Fernandes covers a lot of ground on the pitch
Mainoo can also alleviate some of the pressure on Fernandes, who often finds himself trying to do too much.
The club captain covers a lot of ground for United, but his extensive running can lead to him being out of position.
He sometimes drifts out of position to get on the ball, which can leave the team vulnerable.
One advantage is that Fernandes could help overload Liverpool's wide areas during United's attacking plays.
To facilitate this, Amorim could instruct them to man-mark, keeping all players closer to their designated positions.
