Gameweek 17 in the Premier League is headlined by one of the league’s biggest and best rivalries as Liverpool hosts Manchester United to conclude the week on Sunday. Thanks to their 4-0 trouncing of Bournemouth last week, coupled with Manchester City losing 2-0 to Chelsea, Liverpool is your new Premier League leader entering the weekend (42 points) with United in sixth (24 points).
In what is undoubtedly the most anticipated matchup of the weekend, Liverpool is tabbed at -190 in moneyline markets at online book Sportsbook with United at +575 and the draw +345. The Reds are also 1-goal faves in spread betting at -125 with United +105 as the dog. The total is 3.0 with OVER +120 and UNDER -145.
It may come as a surprise, but Liverpool has had real trouble against United down the years and I’ll get into that below, but with Liverpool on top of the table and looking to keep it that way, there will be extra motivation to beat their hated rival this time around.
Not that they need it.
- The last time Liverpool defeated Manchester United in the league was in the 2013-14 season.
- Liverpool has conceded a league-low six goals this season.
- The last three Premier League meetings at Anfield have seen one goal scored combined.
Liverpool vs Manchester United Game Center
Liverpool Hungry for a Win Over United
Yes, you have to go all the way back to the 2013-14 campaign to find a Liverpool win over United in the league. Eight league games without a win since. Liverpool won 1-0 at Anfield and 3-0 in the reverse fixture that season, so if you think Liverpool’s futile run against United continues on Sunday, United’s price is well worth a punt here.
As good as Liverpool has been under manager Jurgen Klopp, Manchester United has been a tough opponent for him. The German took over at Anfield ahead of the 2015-16 season and has only taken three points (three draws) in six Premier League meetings with the Red Devils.
In last season’s games, United won 2-1 at Old Trafford while this fixture was a 0-0 draw (more on that below). Liverpool’s goal came via an Eric Bailly own goal, so Liverpool failed to properly find the scoresheet in 180 minutes of football in the league.
This Ain’t Last Season’s Liverpool
I’ve addressed this in other Liverpool match previews, but it’s worth mentioning yet again now that we are 16 games into the season. While the Reds were getting things done with a blistering attack last season, they have really become a fantastic defensive side this season.
Entering Sunday’s game, Liverpool has conceded a league-low six goals this season and has conceded just once in its last five league games (away to Burnley). For comparison’s sake, through 16 games last season, the Reds had conceded 20 goals. They conceded eight through their first four games in 2017-18.
Getting Alisson from Roma in the summer window was a major coup as goalkeeping was an issue for the team last season. The Brazilian leads the Premier League with 10 clean sheets but does not face a ton of work as he has only had to make 36 saves, which ranks 16th in the league.
Hulking centerback Virgil van Dijk has been one of the best defenders in the league this season but there are injury concerns in the backline for Liverpool ahead of this fixture. Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Trent Alexander-Arnold all look set to miss out, which will force Dejan Lovren into the fold at CB and, potentially, James Milner to RB in Alexander-Arnold’s spot.
It will be interesting to see what Klopp does with the backline here, so pay attention to lineups if you’re going to wait to place your wager here.
This Fixture Has Been Devoid of Goals
Considering the high-octane attack that Liverpool boasts and the glut of international superstars peppering both clubs, goals have been lacking in recent meetings and especially at Anfield. In the last three games in Liverpool, there has been one goal scored. Just one. And that came in the 2015-16 season.
The previous two games at Anfield have each resulted in 0-0 scorelines and four of the last five meetings all would have cashed UNDER this year’s total of 3.0. The fifth would have pushed.
The trouble with backing the UNDER comfortably is that Liverpool’s attack has really started cooking in the league. The Reds have bagged seven goals in the last two games and the prolific Mohamed Salah is coming off a hat trick against Bournemouth last weekend.
Ninja’s Pick
It’s a tough one to cap, honestly. Liverpool is easily the better side, but United has had their number in recent seasons. If you were just going to bet Manchester United’s moneyline at +575, I wouldn’t blame you. It’s a nice offering, to be sure. But Liverpool has the added motivation of holding on to that top spot in the league and has to rely on hated neighbor Everton to try to contain Manchester City in the weekend’s first game.
Think this is finishing in another 0-0? That’s out there at 13/1. Me? I don’t think this remains scoreless so I’m going to play it safely and play the Liverpool moneyline at -190. That said, I’m also going to play both Salah and Sadio Mané to score anytime at -110 and +150 respectively. For some reason, players like Daniel Sturridge (+125) and Divock Origi (+130) are being offered with shorter odds than Mané, so I’ll take a stab there.
Whatever you do with your wagers in this game and the rest of the Premier League board, best of luck.
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