da apostaganha： It’s been an exhilarating few weeks for English football – an expectedly dramatic third round of the FA Cup followed by a mesmerising batch of midweek thrillers in the Premier League – and the coming weekend looks set to maintain that theme.
da premier bet： Indeed, Manchester City face away day specialists Crystal Palace at the Etihad, fallen giants Chelsea take on top-scorers-of-the-bottom-half Everton and Arsenal will face the age-old adage of ‘can you do it on a rainy night in Stoke’ as they visit the Britannia in Sunday’s late kickoff.
But the pick of the bunch has to be Liverpool’s clash with Manchester United. The two northwest rivals might not be the forces of old but this fixture still has a global reach bigger than any other in the Premier League – and rarely fails to disappoint.
Sunday’s 14.05 installment at Anfield feels like a particularly important on; a home win will see the Reds go level on points with United in the Premier League table, which could well be curtains for under-fire manager Louis van Gaal, whilst an away win could spring-board the Red Devils back into the top four.
With Champions League hopes and bragging rights on the line, it looks set to be a close encounter that could well come down to which side dominates the key individual battles. With that in mind, here are FIVE Football Fancast view as the most important.
MAROUANE FELLAINI VS EMRE CAN
Marouane Fellaini has hardly shrouded himself in glory when issued rare chances to impress by Louis van Gaal. But considering Liverpool’s notoriously porous defending at set pieces and the overall lack of height throughout their starting Xi, Sunday’s Anfield contest is begging for the towering Belgian to make an impact – be it in a starting berth or from the bench.
Fellaini tends to float around the pitch, finding rare pockets of space in which his 6 foot 5 frame can create a mismatch, and many of his aerial battles at set pieces will likely be contested with Reds centre-back duo Kolo Toure and Mamadou Sakho – more on them later.
But in terms of the engine room, Emre Can is the only Liverpool midfielder who can hope to match Fellaini’s dominance in the air, measuring in at around 6 foot 2.
He’s got the physicality to reduce the United star’s influence and has become an increasingly important member of Liverpool’s starting Xi over the course of the season, averaging the most passes per match, the fourth-most created chances per match and the second-most interceptions per match of any Reds player.
ROBERTO FIRMINO VS CHRIS SMALLING
Chris Smalling seemed a shoo-in for one of the defensive slots in the PFA Team of the Season not too long ago, playing a pivotal role in the Red Devils recording eight clean sheets from their first twelve Premier League fixtures.
But the England international has seen ten goals go past him in United’s last five league games, including three against Newcastle in midweek as some rather overzealous grappling at a corner cost his side a penalty.
Of course, United’s sudden dip in defensive form isn’t all down to the 26-year-old. The Red Devils are light on numbers at the back and have been forced to field academy players and midfielders in defensive positions in recent months.
But Smalling seems not quite the imperious backline leader he was back in October and November and he’s now facing Liverpool at arguably the worst possible time. Their first-choice centre-forward in the absence of Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino, set Anfield alight in midweek with a stunning brace against Arsenal.
The Brazilian attacker’s second goal was something particularly special; a powerful curler into the top right-hand corner; so Smalling can’t afford him a yard of space in the final third.
WAYNE ROONEY VS KOLO TOURE AND MAMADOU SAKHO
Almost a carbon copy of the aforementioned battle between Roberto Firmino and Chris Smalling, Wayne Rooney has returned to form in recent weeks whilst veteran centre-back Kolo Toure represents the bare bones of Liverpool’s defensive depth.
Indeed, after netting just twice in his first 15 Premier League outings this term, the Manchester United skipper now boasts four goals in his last three appearances across all competitions – including winners against Swansea City and Sheffield United and a midweek brace against Newcastle.
With Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren both absent through injury, it’s more than likely we’ll see Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure partner up again on Sunday after starting against Arsenal, although loan signing Steven Caulker could also find himself thrust into the action.
The duo weren’t exactly on point upon facing the Gunners, conceding three, and Toure is certainly a weak link at the age of 34, so Rooney should get a few chances to continue his scoring run. But both showed moments of individual brilliance on Wednesday night and will feel much more familiar as a unit this Sunday.
ADAM LALLANA VS ASHLEY YOUNG
With attacking options severely depleted, Jurgen Klopp has little choice but to reselect his front three from midweek – including Adam Lallana at left midfield.
The England international isn’t a natural winger and often resembles a square peg trying to fill a round hole, lacking the pace and power of opposite flanker Jordon Ibe for example.
But the former Southampton star has shown decent form in recent weeks, with two assists in his last five Premier League starts, and should be able to take advantage of a potential weak link in makeshift Manchester United right-back Ashley Young.
Indeed, the 30-year-old has surpassed the expectations of many since being thrust into the No.2 slot and some of his individual performances have been brilliant, but it seems inevitable a lack of defensive nous will catch up at some point – especially with United’s defensive displays in general leaving much to be desired at the moment.
Young’s certainly not short of natural pace, however, so Lallana will have to outmanoeuvre him with intelligence and trickery.
JURGEN KLOPP VS LOUIS VAN GAAL
Jurgen Klopp and Louis van Gaal are two managers of very distinct personalities who employ rather polarised styles of play.
Although the Reds aren’t exactly hoof-and-chase merchants, Klopp’s ‘gegenpressing’ philosophy is centred around quick, direct attacks after winning the ball high up the pitch and is at its most effective when facing teams who like to keep control of possession.
Manchester United certainly fall into that category, recording the highest average possession of any Premier League side this season at 57%, much to the disliking of the Old Trafford faithful. They utilised a more cavalier approach against Newcastle in midweek but after coming away with just a point, Louis van Gaal seems almost certain to revert back to type for the visit to Anfield.
The natural assumption is that United will resultantly play into Liverpool’s hands more than vice versa. The Reds will look to press the backline with as much energy as possible, which tends to be United’s favourite department to knock the ball around.
But van Gaal is an experienced coach and will be well aware of Klopp’s game-plan, especially following an expert counter-attacking display against Manchester City earlier this season.
Likewise, Liverpool’s players aren’t fully adjusted to Klopp’s philosophy in physical terms just yet – which is why they’ve picked up so many injuries – so if United are successful in keeping the ball, they could quickly wear the home side out.