The “personal pride” at stake between Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford could be the key factor in determining the outcome of today's big clash.
That's the verdict of Danny Murphy, who knows all about what's needed to succeed at Old Trafford having netted three winning goals for the Reds there on three separate occasions.
Writing in the Daily Mail , Murphy questions whether Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be bold enough to gamble on Rashford against the Premier League leaders.
He says: “There aren’t many ways United can trouble this Liverpool defence but gambling on Marcus Rashford to take on Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of them.
“I remember Rashford scoring twice when United won at Old Trafford two seasons ago under Jose Mourinho . He was encouraged to stay upfield and run in behind rather than track the Liverpool full-backs.
“Rashford seems to get joy playing down the left side of a 4-3-3. The question is whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is bold enough to tell Rashford to let Alexander-Arnold go so that he’ll have space on the counter.
“And whether United see enough of the ball for Rashford to stand up to Alexander-Arnold one-on-one. The pair are friends as well so there will be a lot of personal pride in who comes out on top, as well as the enormity of the game.
“It is worth Solskjaer taking that risk, it’s one of the few attacking weapons he has in a team struggling for goals. If Alexander-Arnold is a bit stranded, Liverpool will rely on Jordan Henderson getting across to cover, but if United can get the ball into Rashford high up and early, he won’t be caught.”
Murphy, who netted the only goal of the game in Manchester United versus Liverpool showdowns in 2000, 2002 and 2004, reckons it might also be beneficial bringing in Joe Gomez at the expense of in-form Joel Matip , who has just penned a new contract at Anfield.
He added: “If Anthony Martial starts in the middle, he also likes drifting to the left during the game and that would put even more pressure on that side of Liverpool’s defence.
“I remember Thierry Henry and Roberto Pires doubling up on the left for Arsenal at times and causing difficulty.
“I even wonder if Jurgen Klopp may play Joe Gomez as the right-sided central defender for his extra pace. That’s no reflection on Joel Matip’s form — he has been outstanding — but for this fixture, Gomez is a consideration.
“United could go 4-4-2 or a diamond to try and surprise Liverpool but, when a team is low on confidence, jiggling about with new systems doesn’t always work.
“I think United will stick to 4-3-3 but that right side of Liverpool’s defence is maybe vulnerable if United are bold enough to leave Rashford up to find gaps.”
