Liverpool vs. Manchester United Prediction: Arch-Rivals Renew Hostilities in EPL

• Liverpool are in pole position to win the EPL title in Arne Slot’s debut season

• Manchester United are in a relegation battle according to their own manager

• It is hard to see anything other than a comfortable home victory this weekend

Liverpool vs. Manchester United Odds

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Liverpool vs. Manchester United Pick

Back Liverpool to win to nil. Manchester United are struggling in attack, so the Reds will be reasonably confident of keeping a clean sheet in this one.

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Liverpool March on as Premier League Title Within Reach

When Jurgen Klopp departed Liverpool at the end of last season, most observers predicted that the club would enter a period of transition. Given the gigantic impact Klopp made during his nine-year tenure, it was understandably assumed that his replacement would encounter a few teething problems, particularly in his first campaign at the helm.

Arne Slot has made a mockery of such forecasts. He has needed no adaptation time after replacing Klopp and has instead put Liverpool in a fantastic position across multiple fronts. Not only are the Reds top of the Premier League, they lead the way in the Champions League too. On top of that, Slot’s side are through to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup.

A 5-0 thrashing of West Ham United in their final outing of 2024 moved Liverpool onto 45 points from their first 18 matches. They are six clear of second-placed Arsenal, on whom the Reds have a game in hand. After Manchester City’s stunning collapse in form, Liverpool are in pole position to win what would be a record-equaling (alongside Manchester United) 20th title.

The worrying thing for the chasing pack is that Liverpool seem to be getting stronger, not weaker. They suffered a slight blip in December, drawing back-to-back meetings with Newcastle United and Fulham. Yet they have won three league games on the bounce since then, scoring 14 goals along the way.

There has been much talk of the futures of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk, each of whom is due to become a free agent at the end of the season. But no member of the trio has been adversely affected by their contractual situation. In fact, you could very easily argue that Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk are all playing better than ever.

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Manchester United’s Woes Continue Amid Amorim Struggles

Manchester United are at their lowest point yet in the post-Alex Ferguson era. At the midway stage of the season, they sit 14th in the standings. United are closer to the bottom three than they are to the top four. According to their own manager Ruben Amorim, United are in a fight for their EPL lives.

“That [being in a relegation battle] is really clear. It's one of the most difficult moments in the history of Man United and we have to address it with honesty,” he told Sky Sports after Monday’s 2-0 loss to Newcastle, a result which left Amorim’s team just seven points clear of the drop zone.

Demotion would be unthinkable and it is highly unlikely to happen, but the fact it is even a talking point shows how far the club has fallen. Worryingly for Amorim, things have only gotten worse since he took over in November. Only the bottom two of Leicester City and Southampton have collected fewer points than United since the Portuguese’s arrival eight games ago.

Amorim has introduced his favored 3-4-3 system and is refusing to deviate from it. That is the correct decision - after all, United hired him because of the ideas he believes in - but right now the players are struggling to adapt. 

It is also difficult to avoid the conclusion that United’s squad is very ordinary. Perhaps only Bruno Fernandes would get into the starting XI of the division’s top teams.

United have lost five of their last six matches, a record they share with a Southampton side that looks like one of the worst in EPL history. That is not the sort of company Amorim wants his team to keep.

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Manchester United Fans Will Be Dreading This Trip to Anfield

The beauty of soccer is that every game begins 0-0 and anything is possible thereafter. Its low-scoring nature lends itself to upsets more readily than other sports. Sometimes the strong favorite plays well and dominates the match yet still ends up losing. A silver lining, no matter how faint, can be detected even in the darkest of clouds.

Make no mistake, though: the odds are stacked against Manchester United this weekend. Their fans will make the relatively short trip to Anfield with a sense of foreboding. Even when United were the dominant force in English soccer, they did not have everything their own way at Liverpool’s home. Right now they are the inferior team in all departments.

The concern for Amorim is that the team’s attacking output has declined since he was appointed. United were guilty of wasteful finishing under Erik ten Hag, but they were at least creating opportunities. They are barely doing that these days, having drawn a blank in three consecutive games.

Led by the imperious Van Dijk, Liverpool’s defense is holding up well. The Reds do not concede many goals and they will be particularly tough to dislodge at Anfield, where they have conceded just six times so far - a joint-low for home games alongside Arsenal. Slot’s team can shut out Manchester United on their way to another victory in 2024/25.

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How to Watch Liverpool vs. Manchester United

• Teams: Liverpool vs. Manchester United

• Location: Anfield, Liverpool, England

• Date and Time: Sunday, 5 January 2025, 11.30 AM ET 

• How to Watch: NBC, Peacock Premium