Mohamed Salah out to break Alan Shearer record against Manchester United
Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah could break a Premier League scoring record set by Alan Shearer when the Reds host Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
The Egypt winger has left records tumbling in his wake since returning to the Premier League six years ago and reached another two milestones during last weekend’s clash with Crystal Palace.
Salah benefitted from a significant deflection to draw the Reds level against the Eagles, which marked his 200th goal for Liverpool and his 150th in the Premier League since making his top-flight debut for Chelsea.
The 31-year-old was offered a complete rest in midweek as Liverpool ended their Europa League group-stage run with a 2-1 loss to Union SG, but he is expected to be reinstated to the first XI against his favourite opponent.
Salah has already struck a remarkable 12 goals from 12 games against Manchester United across all competitions – more than any other player in the fixture’s history – and against no other team has he netted as many goals, having hit 11 against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
©Ten of those strikes have come in Salah’s 11 Premier League clashes with the Red Devils, including a brace and a pair of assists in March’s 7-0 dismantling of Erik ten Hag‘s men at Anfield.
Should Salah make the net ripple once on Sunday, he will become the player with the most Premier League goals against Manchester United, having equalled Shearer’s 10 during March’s seven-goal slaughter.
The former Chelsea and Roma man has often had his way with Man United over the past couple of years, scoring in each of his last six appearances against them since an FA Cup fourth-round defeat in the 2020-21 season.
Furthermore, not since a goalless draw with Chelsea in January has Salah failed to register a direct goal involvement in a Premier League home game, scoring or assisting in each of his last 16 appearances in the top flight at Anfield.
While Salah is gunning for individual glory on Sunday, a new piece of club history could also be written for Liverpool, who are out to record five successive home clean sheets against Man United in the top flight for the first time ever,
Since Jesse Lingard scored at Anfield in December 2018, Liverpool have shut-out the Red Devils four time on the trot on home soil, winning three of those contests while settling for a point in a 0-0 draw in 2020-21.
Lingard’s consolation strike five years ago is also the only strike that the Red Devils have managed in their last eight trips to Anfield since their most recent triumph in January 2016, where Wayne Rooney scored the only goal.
Jurgen Klopp’s side enter the weekend one point clear of Arsenal at the top of the table, although both the Gunners and Aston Villa could leapfrog Liverpool before their 4.30pm kickoff.
Meanwhile, Man United sit 10 points and five places adrift of Klopp’s men in sixth place, having suffered two defeats from their last three top-flight contests.
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Predicted Man United XI vs Liverpool: Marcus Rashford to play up front, Kobbie Mainoo to start
Just as it seemed the physio’s room at Old Trafford was beginning to empty out, it got busier again this week as Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw both limped off the pitch against Bayern Munich in midweek.
Maguire is definitely out of tomorrow’s Premier League game against Liverpool although manager Erik ten Hag does not expect his absence to be long term.
Anthony Martial also remains unavailable through the illness that kept him out of Tuesday’s game, but Marcus Rashford returns.
Rashford has reportedly been suffering with Norovirus.
Shaw, too, has recovered quickly from what looked like hamstring trouble and is fit to play.
Victor Lindelof has to our knowledge not been mentioned by the club or in Ten Hag’s presser, so it is unclear at this stage whether he has recovered from the illness that saw him miss the last two games. We are assuming he remains unavailable.
Lisandro Martinez is back on the grass after his second surgery on the same ankle injury that kept him out of the latter stages of last season, but at least a couple of weeks away from playing competitive football.
Tyrell Malacia has had a small setback in his recovery so will not be available until mid-January at the earliest.
As United lost 7-0 in the corresponding fixture last season, Ten Hag might opt for the more defensive-minded Aaron Wan-Bissaka over Diogo Dalot at right back.
The experiment with Shaw at centre back seems to have run its course, so it seems more likely that if Lindelof doesn’t make it, Jonny Evans will partner Rapha Varane at centre back and Shaw will play left back.
Sergio Reguilon is another option.
It is expected that Ten Hag will keep faith in Andre Onana in goal.
In midfield, Mason Mount could be ready for a return but the bench is probably the only realistic option. Casemiro and Christian Eriksen are both ruled out and Bruno Fernandes is suspended.
Again, with caution in mind, the most likely scenario is that Kobbie Mainoo comes in for Bruno with Scott McTominay pushing up a little more into an eight-ten role and Sofyan Amrabat holding alongside the 18 year old. This sacrifices some creativity but should add a bit more of a defensive wall in midfield.
Hannibal is another option to replace Fernandes but his inexperience and fiery temperament might not be best suited to the hostile Anfield environment.
Up front, with Martial out and Rasmus Hojlund looking jaded and bereft of confidence, Rashford could be asked to play centre forward, with Alejandro Garnacho continuing on the left wing and Antony on the right.
This would give Rashford an opportunity to really make a statement against Liverpool that could kick start his season, and also allow Hojlund to rest up and have the advantage of fresh legs if he is brought off the bench in the second half.
Amad Diallo could make the bench after a long lay-off, if he does not play for the U21s today. Facu Pellistri is also an option on the wings, but Jadon Sancho remains exiled by Ten Hag.
With all that in mind, here is our predicted line-up for tomorrow’s game:
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