Having picked up three more Premier League points last night, Liverpool have another big test coming up at the weekend.
The Reds had to battle a little harder than anticipated to get past Sheffield United on Thursday. But a hard-fought win leaves them top of the pile heading into matchday 31.
There, Manchester United once again lie in wait. Erik ten Hag’s side had their own battle last night, one which they ultimately lost. The cheers could reportedly be heard in the Anfield tunnel as Cole Palmer scored two late goals to hand United a 4-3 loss against Chelsea.
That could well be good news for Liverpool as they head to Old Trafford. Or it could make no bones, really. The Reds will be favourite, as Chris Sutton has predicted, but with these kinds of games, form can often go out of the window.
Someone who needs no introduction to that is Jamie Carragher. The Liverpool legend faced United many times over a 17-year-old career with the Reds. So, when he says he disagrees with something being said about the fixture, he probably has a point.
Jamie Carragher makes Liverpool vs Man United claim
Carragher often came off on the wrong side of games between Liverpool and United during his playing career.
Under Sir Alex Ferguson for the duration of his time at Anfield, United were the dominant force in English football. Nevertheless, Liverpool did turn up and beat their arch-rivals a fair few times still.
And according to Carragher, if you want to come out on top in this hate-laden fixture, then it pays to play the occasion rather than the game.
“It is often said about games of Sunday’s stature that it is a mistake to play the occasion rather than the team. I disagree,” the 46-year-old writes in The Telegraph.
“When Liverpool play Manchester United, you must confront both otherwise you will not be ready for what might happen. To everyone connected to the clubs these games mean more.
“That pressure allied to the quality within the opposition has always made the United trip especially demanding, even for the greatest Liverpool teams.”
Who’s the favourite for Sunday’s game
Quite clearly, Liverpool are in a far better place than United at the moment. But, as Carragher alludes to, that doesn’t always count for much.
Ten Hag has already set his team up against the Reds twice this season. Liverpool didn’t come away from either game with a win.
So, no matter the shape they’re in, Man United will have a chance at Old Trafford on Sunday. The away team are without doubt a better side, but as March’s mad FA Cup tie showed, sometimes crazy things happen in this fixture.
Standard advice would be for Liverpool to ignore all of that and play their usual game. But according to Carra, they should rather embrace the chaos and ride the wave. The Reds are capable of both, so let’s see what Jurgen Klopp instructs them to do.