Arne Slot receives Florian Wirtz instruction amid Liverpool vs Man Utd settlement
Liverpool play Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday, and two pundits both agree on the outcome of that Anfield showdown for Arne Slot and Ruben Amorim
Two prominent pundits are tipping Liverpool to end their losing streak when they welcome Manchester United this Sunday. Arne Slot‘s men have endured back-to-back Premier League setbacks against Chelsea and Crystal Palace, while Galatasaray also proved too strong for them in the Champions League.
After three consecutive away matches across all competitions, the Reds return to the comfort of Anfield on Sunday, where they have maintained a flawless record from five fixtures this campaign. The highlight of those home victories was their narrow 1-0 triumph over Arsenal, sealed by Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning late free-kick.
Meanwhile, United continue their hunt for a maiden away win, having fallen to Brentford and Manchester City, while managing only a 1-1 stalemate with Fulham. They also crashed out of the League Cup on penalties to Grimsby Town.
Paul Merson has cranked up the pressure on Liverpool, warning that “this title race may even be over” should they stumble against United. Speaking to Sportskeeda, he said: “If Arsenal win on Saturday, this is a must-win game for them.
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“I thought Liverpool fully deserved to get beaten by Crystal Palace and Galatasaray. They must get back on track now.
“All three Liverpool defeats have come away from home, and now they return to Anfield. We all know Liverpool are a different beast on home turf, and Manchester United haven’t been great on their travels!”
Merson continued: “I have a feeling [Alexander] Isak will start this game because of the transfer fee. You just can’t leave him out when you pay that kind of money, can you? If you pay over £100 million for players, they have to be in the line-up for the big games, and this is one of them.”
On the topic of Liverpool’s other record-breaking acquisition, Merson added: “I also think Florian Wirtz is a decent option for this game. Manchester United are not strong in midfield, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Slot deploys Wirtz in that No. 10 role. I believe Wirtz can cause problems for United, too.
“I don’t think Liverpool will lose at home; they will snap out of this run. Manchester United will be lucky if they can walk away with something from Anfield,” Merson concluded, forecasting a 2-0 victory for the home side.
Chris Sutton echoed these sentiments to the BBC, although he was slightly more optimistic about United’s chances. “This is a huge game for Arne Slot’s side,” he stated.
“United can definitely hurt Liverpool on the break, and that is clearly the way they will set up at Anfield.” Sutton added, “There are definitely reasons for Manchester United to be optimistic here.
“Liverpool have issues defensively, and their weakness at full-back might suit United’s tactics. I can see Bryan Mbeumo causing Arne Slot’s side all sorts of problems.
“My head is telling me that Ruben Amorim’s side will get something at Anfield, but I don’t want to go for a draw, even though that’s what I think will happen.” He concluded: “It is not in my nature to sit on the fence for a big game like this,” forecasting a 2-1 victory for Liverpool.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.
