Premier League powerhouses Manchester United and Liverpool will square off at Old Trafford on Monday evening in a game that has elevated in importance for both sides in a number of aspects.
In their respective opening two games in the 2022/23 season, neither of the two clubs have earned a victory. Having said that, United's season has gotten off to a nightmare start.
Although it may seem like United's recent seasons have all been similarly dreary and depressing, the way they have started this year raises the possibility that they will hit a new low this year.
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The Red Devils were outsmarted by teams that on paper were far inferior, and as a result, they find themselves at the bottom of the league after consecutive losses to underdog opponents in Brighton and Brentford.
This is enough proof to suggest that the once powerful team may still be far from halting their title drought.
Liverpool, on the other side, may not have won a match, but they do have 2 of the 6 points scored thanks to a string of ties. Even though both games ended in draws, there was a slight progress in their play between the opening game against Fulham and the encounter against Crystal Palace.
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Darwin Nunez may have even led the Reds to victory if he hadn't lost his cool.
Erik ten Hag and his players will have to find a way to put an end to their misery and will also have to manage to get a decent result against a sluggish Liverpool side. With that in mind, let’s have a look at the potential starting XI that Ten Hag could pick against Liverpool on Monday:
David de Gea looks set to retain his spot in goal despite having gifted two obscure goals to Brentford last weekend. While United are looking for a keeper to play second-fiddle and give the Spaniard competition for the No.1 spot, De Gea looks set to start on Monday evening.
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In defence, United face a similar situation in the right-back position. Diogo Dalot had an underwhelming game against Brentford but with Aaron Wan-Bissaka not being considered by Ten Hag for his starting line-up, the Portuguese looks set to retain his spot as well.
Despite the defensive nature of the system, there have been serious indications as to why United should shift to a back three ahead of the upcoming game. However, Ten Hag will be reluctant to change from a style that he has been using for years and a 4-3-3 setup seems the most probable.
In the heart of the defence, it seems like Lisandro Martinez will be starting, pairing up with Raphael Varane for the first time this season. Captain Harry Maguire is set to lose his spot in the starting line-up for the first time in a while after there were rumours of Ten Hag considering dropping him from the playing XI for the Liverpool game.
At left-back, Tyrell Malacia could be set to be given his first start of his United career after impressing in the second half against the Bees.
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In the midfield, Scott McTominay could be given a start ahead of Fred as the latter was wrestled off the ball easily by the Brentford players. Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen will likely maintain their starting spots due to the lack of depth in the squad.
Up front, Anthony Martial could make his return from injury but is expected to start from the bench. Cristiano Ronaldo will be the focal point in the Red Devils’ attack given the lack of depth. Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford will start on the wings yet again.
Predicted Manchester United XI
De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Malacia; Eriksen, McTominay, B.Fernandes; Sancho, Ronaldo, Rashford.
Topics: Manchester United, Liverpool, Premier League, Erik Ten Hag, David De Gea, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, Tyrell Malacia
Aadit Mehta