Can Manchester United go against recent history and conjure a win at Anfield?
Last season, the Reds did the double over United. Last March, in what surely proved the death knell for David Moyes, Steven Gerrard scored twice from the penalty spot while Luis Suarez added a late third as the Merseysiders ran riot.
But some ghosts were exorcised in December when United took full advantage of Liverpool’s funk and racked up three unanswered goals of their own – another result that papered over the cracks at the club since Louis van Gaal’s arrival.
But that was on their own patch and traditionally, they don’t do well at Anfield. In their last six league visits, they’ve managed one win – in September 2012 when Robin van Persie’s late penalty ensured a tight 2-1 success against the ten-man opposition.
As intriguing as this fixture always is, there’s an added layer of intrigue as both teams are seemingly striding towards the finish line. Liverpool are the most in-form side in the league and their last domestic loss came in that 3-0 defeat to United in mid-December.
Up until recently, Van Gaal’s side seemed lifeless. But they played well in the Cup defeat to Arsenal with much more vibrancy and purpose while their win over Tottenham last weekend was arguably their best outing of the entire campaign.
They certainly need another decent result to ride a wave of optimism all the way to season’s end, especially considering they face a local derby, the league leaders and Arsenal before everything wraps up.
Will Dick Advocaat enjoy a solid first outing as Sunderland boss?
Anyone that was unfortunate enough to witness the Black Cats’ miserable performance at home to Aston Villa last weekend will appreciate the seriousness of the club’s predicament.
The players appeared oblivious to how close they are to free-fall and with Tim Sherwood pushing his new side to the dizzying heights of 16th coupled with Burnley’s remarkable win over Manchester City, Sunderland are sandwiched between clubs offering up critical moments of inspiration in spite of their respective relegation battles – a key element of any fight against the drop.
To have allowed it get this far is unforgivable. New boss Advocaat is under little pressure. If he pulls off a miraculous recovery, he’ll be lauded. But no-one is stupid enough to be that optimistic.
The fixture list is relatively kind to them but their final two games are trips to Arsenal and Chelsea. If they’re still heading into the final week of the season needing points, it’s unlikely they’ll manage it. So, the focus needs to be on games like their forthcoming one.
West Ham haven’t won a game since January and there’s a genuine feeling that Sam Allardyce will walk once the season is over. If that’s the case, perhaps everyone is simply going through the motions and Sunderland, with their new man to breathe some hope into things, have something to play for.
Will Chelsea be awarded a penalty against Hull?
The ‘new campaign’ we heard about this week was penalties or the lack thereof. A curious article was published on the official Chelsea website which gave a detailed breakdown of their spot-kick count this term compares to previous seasons.
It was a strange ploy, particularly given the fact Jose Mourinho was fined earlier in the campaign for alleging a conspiracy against his side. So, here we are again.
It’s hard to know why Chelsea feel so hard done by. They lead the league by six points and have a game in hand on their closest challengers. Perhaps it’s an acknowledgement that the team hasn’t been at its best in recent weeks. Perhaps Mourinho is a little concerned by the momentum of other title pretenders.
Would it be inconceivable to think Chelsea will need to count on favourable refereeing decisions on Sunday afternoon? Well, Hull are in solid form with seven points from their last three games. They’re much better on home soil too with 16 of their 28 points coming at the KC Stadium. Still, Chelsea need a definitive response after their Champions League exit and you’d fancy them to deliver here.
How will this week’s Euro flops fare?
Manchester City, Arsenal and Everton could all do with a pick-me-up after a difficult few days.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side have been here before and things didn’t go according to plan. After the first-leg defeat to Barcelona, they headed for Anfield in their next game and came up short – Philippe Coutinho’s wonder-goal ensuring a 2-1 Reds’ victory. However, on Saturday lunchtime, they’re at home to West Brom – a different beast and, on paper, it seems like an inevitable three points for the reigning champions.
But, Tony Pulis has performed to his usual high standards since taking over at the Hawthorns and his side are the 5th-best team in the league going by recent form – winning three and drawing two of their last six.
It seems a tad more straight-forward for Arsene Wenger and friends. Newcastle haven’t beaten the North Londoners at home in a decade and the Magpies don’t look capable of delivering a shock either.
Everton head for QPR on Sunday afternoon knowing a loss could drag them right into the relegation dogfight. Should other results go against them, the Toffees could finish the weekend level on points with Aston Villa and Hull.
Southampton and Tottenham are treading water & need results
The Saints are a long way from their nightmare back in early December when they suffered five straight defeats but they’ve managed just one win in their last five.
More worryingly is their lack of goals. You have to go back to the 17th January to find the last time Ronald Koeman’s team found the net more than once in a Premier League game. In their last seven games, they’ve scored three times – a dismal return – and in their last outing against Chelsea, Koeman finally lost patience with mis-firing striker Graziano Pelle and dropped him to the bench.
They face Burnley at St. Mary’s on Saturday while at White Hart Lane, another team still battling for a Champions League place – Tottenham – face another struggling side in Leicester.
As usual, they’ll look to Harry Kane to propel them to victory, the attacker surely buoyed by his England call-up. But another setback like the United defeat last weekend could prove costly.
With the teams above them turning a corner as the finale looms large, Southampton and Tottenham are in danger of slipping quietly into the background.
