Who: Liverpool vs Manchester United
What: English Premier League
Where: Anfield in Liverpool, United Kingdom
When: Sunday, October 19, at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 2:30pm (13:30 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.
The Premier League’s two most decorated clubs line up in one of the most high-stakes derbies in years as Liverpool entertain Manchester United on Sunday.
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The Reds have suffered their first blip under Arne Slot, who last season guided the Anfield club to the Premier League title in his first year in charge.
The Red Devils have been under ever-increasing strain since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, and – despite improved performances – results remain at a low for Ruben Amorim, who is approaching a year in charge at Old Trafford.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at what feels like a must-not-lose for the clubs, who have both won and lifted the English top-flight title on 22 occasions, but find themselves at contrasting junctions in their current plights.
How are Liverpool shaping up for Man Utd visit?
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said “results don’t lie” after a three-game losing streak as he called for defensive improvements ahead of Manchester United’s visit.
The Premier League champions won their opening seven games of the season in all competitions, but poor performances were masked by a series of late goals.
Liverpool suffered defeats to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray in the Champions League and Chelsea before the international break, leaving them to fall one point behind title rivals Arsenal.
After romping to the title last season, Liverpool splashed out nearly 450 million pounds ($604m) on new signings, paying club-record fees for Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, neither of whom has yet scored a Premier League goal.
At the other end of the pitch, Slot’s men have conceded two or more goals in four of their seven Premier League games.
“We’ve played 10, won seven and lost three. The three losses were by close margins,” Slot said at his pre-match news conference on Friday.
“But as I keep saying, we should not be dependent on such margins.
“Results don’t lie – if you lose three in a row, then you have to do better. We are aware of that and we have to react.”
What has been Liverpool’s greatest challenge this season?
Mohamed Salah’s sensational form propelled Liverpool to the title last season, but the 33-year-old Egyptian has so far struggled to adjust to the changes made to the side during the transfer window.
Slot pinpointed a lack of game-changing moments from his star-studded forward line and problems at set-pieces.
“We haven’t created as many chances as last season and there’s a reason for that – the playing style of the opponent, and we have to find answers to that,” he said.
“The first answer is not to concede as many goals as we did. If a team scores one or two goals, then we need three goals.
“In the first half of last season, we mainly got these goals from a special moment from one of our front three. The second half, we needed set pieces against a low block.
“This season we haven’t had those special moments, and we haven’t scored from set pieces.
“It’s clear that conceding four goals from set pieces is far too much for a team that wants to compete.”
Mohamed Salah has six goal involvements in 10 games for Liverpool this season, which would be fine for most, but for a player of his ability, that’s considered underperforming.
Across his last 24 games in all competitions, Salah has just four non-penalty goals.#LFC pic.twitter.com/DA4Uqi9b7J
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) October 7, 2025
How are Manchester United shaping up for the trip to Liverpool?
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has welcomed the backing of co-owner Jim Ratcliffe but said it did not ease the pressure of needing to turn around his side’s fortunes quickly.
Ratcliffe said during the international break that Amorim should be allowed the full three years of his contract to prove himself at Old Trafford despite a tough first year in charge.
Amorim has never won back-to-back Premier League games and has only 10 wins from his first 34 in charge ahead of the clash at Anfield.
That record has left him under pressure, but Ratcliffe, who appointed him last year, offered some reassurance in an interview with The Times last week.
“He tells me all the time, sometimes with a message after games – but you know, I know and Jim knows, that football is not like that,” Amorim said in his news conference on Friday.
“It is really good to hear that. I think it helps our fans understand that the leadership knows it will take a while.
“But, at the same moment, I don’t like that because it will give a feeling like we have time to work things out, so I don’t want that feeling in our club. It’s good to feel the support, but we need to show people we are ready to win games. I know it is going to take a while, but I don’t want to think like that.”
United, who finished in the bottom half of the Premier League last season, are in 10th place in the table, five points behind Liverpool.
What happened the last time Liverpool played Manchester United?
The sides drew 2-2 at Liverpool last season in what was arguably Amorim’s most impressive result since taking charge, and there have been other creditable performances against top clubs, but the former Sporting coach says that exposes a mentality issue.
“Maybe the expectations, when you have to win and the responsibility of winning, it is so much harder,” he said.
“When you play in big clubs, you need to win every game. We have difficulties sometimes to play with that responsibility. Maybe when Manchester United are not expected to win, it is easier for the players to perform, but we need to change that.”
When did Manchester United last win at Liverpool?
United haven’t won at Anfield since 2016, and few will expect that to change on Sunday in what is the 100th clash between the old rivals at Liverpool’s ground, even if Liverpool are on a run of three defeats in all competitions.
“It is one more game we need to prove again that we are playing better,” Amorim said. “We need to be better in both boxes. It’s one more game that we need to win.”
Head-to-head
This is the 218th meeting between the sides, with Manchester United winning on 83 occasions, while Liverpool have emerged victorious from 72 of the encounters.
United’s last league win against Liverpool was in 2022 when Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford put the home side two-up at Old Trafford, while Mohamed Salah provided a late consolation for the Reds.
United have lost three of the five league games since then, but did beat Liverpool on their way to winning the FA Cup in 2024.
Liverpool team news
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker remains out with a hamstring injury, but there was better injury news for Liverpool as Ryan Gravenberch is fit to face United despite coming off injured for the Netherlands during the international break.
Manchester United team news
Lisandro Martinez is not yet ready to return as he recovers from a knee injury, while Noussair Mazraoui is doubtful.
Liverpool predicted starting lineup
Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Salah, Wirtz, Ekitike; Isak
Manchester United predicted lineup
Lammens; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Amad, Ugarte, Fernandes, Dalot; Mbeumo, Mount, Sesko
