Manchester United and Liverpool will clash at Old Trafford on Sunday in a game that will be crucial for bragging rights and the battle for third in the Premier League standings.
Gameweek 35 of the 2025/26 Premier League season will continue on Sunday, which will feature three matches. The action on the day will start with the game between Bournemouth and Crystal Palace at the Vitality Stadium before continuing with Manchester United vs Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Manchester United’s resurgence under Michael Carrick continued earlier this week with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Brentford. The match was a keenly contested affair, and both teams created a raft of chances before the Red Devils held on for a narrow win. The result boosted Carrick’s record to nine wins from 13 Premier League games, taking the Red Devils a step closer to securing a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
On the other hand, Liverpool’s recent upturn in form continued with a solid performance in the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace. With the Reds now on a three-match winning run in the Premier League, a top-five finish is almost certain, with sixth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion eight points behind them. However, with the job still not done, Arne Slot will want his charges to continue building momentum towards a positive end to a turbulent 2025/26 campaign.
The reverse fixture saw Manchester United eke out a narrow 2-1 win over Liverpool, with Harry Maguire scoring the late winner. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
Michael Carrick has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Manchester United head coach may be bereft of the services of four first-team players vs Liverpool on Sunday.
Carrick has been sweating over the fitness of Luke Shaw (knock) and Matheus Cunha (groin). The duo will face a late fitness test to determine their availability. However, Matthijs de Ligt remains unavailable as he continues his rehabilitation from a lower back injury. Meanwhile, Lisandro Martinez will complete his suspension this weekend.
Senne Lammens is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Liverpool on Sunday. The backline will feature Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Ayden Heaven, and Luke Shaw. Noussair Mazraoui will start as the left-back if Shaw is not fit enough.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo in the double pivot, with Bruno Fernandes reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Benjamin Sesko will lead the line for Manchester United against Liverpool, with Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, Amad; Sesko
Liverpool
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Arne Slot has a new injury concern to worry about ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Liverpool manager may be without as many as eight first-team players on Sunday.
Slot is sweating over Milos Kerkez’s fitness, as the Hungarian international is recovering from a knock. Kerkez and Alisson Becker (unspecified) face late fitness tests to determine their availability. Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah (hamstring) has joined Giorgi Mamardashvili (knee), Giovanni Leoni (ACL), Conor Bradley (knee), Wataru Endo (ankle), and Hugo Ekitike in the treatment room.
Freddie Woodman should continue to deputise for Alisson Becker 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 Curtis Jones, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Andrew Robertson.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister in the double pivot, with Florian Wirtz reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Alexander Isak will spearhead the Liverpool attack against Manchester United, with Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai completing the numbers in the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Woodman; Jones, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak
Key Stats
- Manchester United have won only three of their last 19 Premier League games vs Liverpool (D9 L7), though they are looking to complete the league double over the Reds for the first time since 2015/16. Meanwhile, the Reds have won three of their five most recent away league games against Manchester United (D1 L1), as many as in their previous 18 visits to Old Trafford (D3 L12).
- Since Michael Carrick’s first Premier League tie in charge this season, Manchester United have won more points than any other side (29). Carrick’s nine wins in 13 matches (D2 L2) are already more than the games Ruben Amorim won in his 20 games in 2025/26 (W8 D7 L5).
- Only in their opening five matches of the season did Liverpool enjoy a longer winning run in the Premier League than their ongoing phase of three victories. However, the Reds have won only one of their last 12 league games against sides starting the day in the top three (D7 L4).
- Manchester United have won the third-most home points in the Premier League this season (36). Last season, they were 14th in the home table with 24 points. The Red Devils have won six of their last seven at Old Trafford, losing the other to Leeds United.
- 78.8% of Liverpool’s expected goals total in the Premier League this season has come from open play (43.3), the highest proportion. Nine of their last 12 goals have come from open play, compared to just three of their previous 12.
Player to Watch
Bruno Fernandes
While Benjamin Sesko, Alexander Isak, and Florian Wirtz were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Bruno Fernandes as the Player to Watch for Sunday’s Premier League clash between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford.
The Manchester United skipper has 19 Premier League assists this season and is one behind the record set by Thierry Henry for Arsenal in 2002/03 and equalled by Kevin De Bruyne for Manchester City in 2019/20. He has created 114 chances this season, 53 more than any other player. With Fernandes in top form and on the cusp of repeating (and perhaps making) history, it is hardly surprising that he is a captaincy candidate in FPL for Gameweek 35.
Prediction
Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool
Liverpool won the corresponding fixture 3-0 last season. Victory on Sunday will make Arne Slot become the first-ever manager from the Merseyside club to win both of his first two away league games against Manchester United. That is motivation enough for the away side to push for a crucial victory this weekend.
However, the possibility of overtaking their bitter rivals in the Premier League standings will provide an added incentive. However, despite their positive form, recent outings have exposed Liverpool’s defensive vulnerabilities. Additionally, the Red Devils have been imperious at home under Michael Carrick, and they should clinch a narrow victory.
A closely-contested affair is on the cards, and the two goalkeepers will be busy between the sticks. However, Bruno Fernandes’s golden run will continue, with Benjamin Sesko and Casemiro delivering the goods to earn the hosts three crucial points, which will confirm a top-five finish for them. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Michael Carrick and his charges.
