Overview
Is this the best or worst time for Manchester United to face Liverpool?
On the one hand, the reigning Premier League champions are going through a period of decline when they have lost 3 consecutive matches in all competitions - something that has never happened in Arne Slot's coaching career. Liverpool's spirit is clearly declining, their confidence has been affected after defeats to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea.
However, that is why they will be determined to end that disappointing streak with a convincing performance. And that is not good news for the away team. The common point of Liverpool's three recent defeats is that they all took place away from home. In contrast, at Anfield, they have won all 5 matches in all competitions since the beginning of the 2025-2026 season.
Man United's form, both against strong teams and away from home, shows that Liverpool's winning streak at home is likely to be extended.
Ruben Amorim's side have failed to win in their last eight Premier League visits (D2 L6) since a 3-0 win over Leicester City in March. In fact, they have not won away against a team currently playing in the Premier League since January. The last time the "Red Devils" went through a longer away winless streak was in September 1989, under Sir Alex Ferguson (11 matches).
Man United will end that dry streak if they win all 3 points this weekend. Last season, they beat defending champions Manchester City 2-1 away from home, but have not won back-to-back seasons against the English champions since 1907/07 and 1908/00.
If he can overcome this challenge, Amorim will become the third coach in the Premier League era to do so after Manuel Pellegrini and Antonio Conte.
In terms of force, the "Red Devils" may field almost the strongest squad, except for Noussair Mazraoui and Lisandro Martinez who are still doubtful to play. On the other side, Liverpool continue to be without Alisson Becker, while Ryan Gravenberch could return and Ibrahima Konate is ready to train.
A bright spot for the away team is the effective defense. So far, only Arsenal (56) and Newcastle (62) have had fewer shots than Man United (64) in the Premier League this season. Liverpool have only had 9 and 5 shots against those two teams, so they may have difficulty creating a scoring opportunity this weekend.
However, Man United are still "open" in a different sense and that may be a concern. Amorim's side have the fourth highest expected goals (xG) in the league (10.1). However, their average expected goals conceded per shot on the right is 0.16 - the highest in the Premier League this season. That shows that the chances their opponents have are often very dangerous.
Head-to-head record
Liverpool have lost just one of their last 14 Premier League meetings with Man United, winning seven and drawing six. The only defeat in that run came at Old Trafford in August 2022. Since the start of the 2018-2019 season, no team has suffered as many defeats against the "Red Devils" in the Premier League as Liverpool (on the condition of meeting at least three times).
Man United's nightmare at Anfield has lasted even longer. Their most recent win here came in their first game under Jurgen Klopp, when Wayne Rooney's late goal helped the visitors win 1-0 in January 2016.
Score prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Man United
The match between Liverpool and Man United takes place at 22:30 on October 19 (Vietnam time).
