Liverpool and Manchester United will be desperate to clinch three points when they face off in a Premier League clash at Anfield on Sunday.
Gameweek 8 of the 2025/26 Premier League season continues on Sunday, and there will be only two matches for English top-flight watchers. The action will start with the tie between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa before ending with Liverpool vs Manchester United at Anfield.
Liverpool began the season with a frustrating defeat to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield tie. However, the Reds were hot off the blocks in the Premier League, winning their first five games, albeit unconvincingly. The poor performances have finally caught up to Arne Slot’s men, who have lost their last three matches, including two Premier League clashes. Those results have dropped the Premier League champions to second in the standings.
On the other hand, Manchester United may have blown hot and cold in terms of results thus far. However, they have shown considerable progress under Ruben Amorim, who has rightly earned Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s backing. The Red Devils have incredible underlying numbers, which suggest they should be much higher on the table than tenth. However, Amorim’s charges have been error-prone, which has been their undoing in the first few weeks of the 2025/26 season.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Manchester United come from a goal down to hold Liverpool to a 2-2 draw. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Liverpool
Arne Slot has received positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Liverpool manager may be bereft of the services of only three first-team players vs Manchester United on Sunday.
Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch have recovered from hamstring injuries to be fit and available to take on Manchester United. However, Alisson Becker (thigh) and Giovanni Leoni (knee) remain in the treatment room. Additionally, Slot has been sweating over Wataru Endo’s fitness this week.
Giorgi Mamardashvili will continue to deputise for Alisson between the sticks, with Liverpool lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester United on Sunday. The backline will feature Jeremie Frimpong, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Milos Kerkez.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister in the double pivot, with Dominik Szoboszlai getting the nod over Florian Wirtz to reprise the no. 10 role. Finally, Hugo Ekitike will lead the line for Liverpool against Manchester United, with Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Ekitike
Manchester United
Like his counterpart in the Liverpool dugout, Ruben Amorim has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Anfield. The Manchester United manager may be without only three first-team players on Sunday.
Lisandro Martinez (knee) and Noussair Mazraoui (hamstring) remain in the treatment room, and they will not return before next month. Meanwhile, Ayden Heaven faces a late fitness test to determine his availability, although he would not have started anyway.
Senne Lammens has become an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Liverpool on Sunday. The central defensive unit will feature Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, and Luke Shaw. Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu will be the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the centre-backs in the defensive phases. As for the midfield unit, Manuel Ugarte will line up alongside Bruno Fernandes in the central areas, with Casemiro starting on the bench after his excursions for Brazil during the international break. Finally, Benjamin Sesko will spearhead the Manchester United attack against Liverpool, with Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount forming the supporting cast.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Lammens; Yoro, de Ligt, Shaw; Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, Ugarte, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Mount; Sesko
Key Stats
- Liverpool have lost just one of their last 14 Premier League games vs Manchester United (W7 D6), a 1-2 defeat at Old Trafford in August 2022. Since the start of 2018/19, this is the fewest defeats any side to face the Red Devils three or more times in the competition has had against them. The Red Devils are winless in their last nine Premier League outings at Anfield since a 1-0 win in January 2016 under Louis van Gaal (D5 L4). Liverpool can become just the second side to avoid defeat in ten or more successive Premier League home games against the Red Devils after Chelsea (10 from August 2002 to February 2012).
- Manchester United won away to the reigning Premier League title holders, Manchester City, 2-1 last season. However, they have not beaten the defending English champions on the road in successive league seasons since 1906/07 (Liverpool) and 1907/08 (Newcastle United). Ruben Amorim can become only the third manager to win his first two Premier League away games at reigning champions, after Manuel Pellegrini and Antonio Conte.
- Liverpool have lost their last two Premier League games after winning their first five of the season beforehand; it was not until their 31st league match of the 2024/25 campaign that they suffered their second defeat. The Reds could lose three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since February 2021 (4).
- Manchester United are winless in their last eight Premier League away games (D2 L6) since beating Leicester City 3-0 in March. The Red Devils most recently went longer without a league win on the road in September 1989 under Alex Ferguson (11).
- Only Arsenal (56) and Newcastle United (62) have faced fewer shots than Manchester United (64) in the Premier League this season. However, despite that, the Red Devils have the fourth-highest expected goals against figure in the division (10.1). Indeed, their average xG per shot faced of 0.16 is the highest of any Premier League side in the 2025/26 campaign.
Player to Watch
Mohamed Salah
While Bryan Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, and Hugo Ekitike were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Mohamed Salah as the Player to Watch for Sunday’s Premier League clash between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield.
The veteran attacker has an exceptional record against Manchester United, as he has more goals (13) and goal involvements (19 – G13 A6) against the Red Devils than any other player in Premier League history.
Only five players have recorded 20 or more goal involvements against an opponent in the competition: Les Ferdinand (20 vs Everton), Alan Shearer (21 vs Everton, 21 vs Leeds United), Frank Lampard (21 vs Bolton Wanderers), Harry Kane (22 vs Leicester City), and Wayne Rooney (23 vs Newcastle United). Expect Salah to join that elusive list sooner or later, and it may happen on Sunday.
Prediction
Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United
The blockbuster clash of Gameweek 8 of the 2025/26 Premier League season features two teams that are already desperate for three points at an early stage this term. However, after the goal fests last term, Sunday’s match should be no different, and we may also see a last-gasp strike.
Liverpool’s seven Premier League matches this season have seen four 90th-minute (or later) winning goals (two for, two against). Only in 2008/09 were the Reds ever involved in more games with 90th-minute winners in a season in the competition (5 – four for, one against).
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s recent struggles mean Sunday’s match is a golden opportunity for Manchester United to end a dreadful run of results at Anfield. However, Casemiro’s absence from the starting eleven may prove costly, and Mohamed Salah should continue his excellent form against Manchester United. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Arne Slot and his charges, who will score a late winner to seal the three points.