Ace Football previews the FA Cup match between Manchester United and Liverpool, and offers betting tips, odds, line-ups, and team news.
Manchester United and Liverpool meet again for a second showdown in the space of seven days in the form of an FA Cup fourth round tie.
The bitter rivals played out a feeble goalless stalemate last weekend in the Premier League. Neither side lived up to the pre-match hype at Anfield, although United arguably had the better opportunities to snatch a victory.
Now the two clubs meet again at Old Trafford in a clash where a draw is simply unacceptable. There will be a winner this time out, but who will it be? Possible rotations, along with mixed runs of form, suggest it could be a more open affair compared to last weekend.
Manchester United Form & Stats
Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba were on target to seal a 2-1 comeback win over Fulham on Wednesday. Therefore, United remained top of the Premier League table with a two-point advantage over Manchester City and Leicester.
The tide has swiftly turned in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s favor. Just one defeat in 12 games (W8 D3) across all competitions has quelled any doubts over the manager’s future, with the club in contention for an unprecedented treble this season. It’s still early days, of course, but confidence is growing over in Old Trafford.
Bruno Fernandes, in particular, has been remarkable since his €55m arrival from Sporting CP last year. The midfielder has proven decisive in creating and scoring goals. And while he was rested for the third-round clash with Watford on January 9, he will probably feature for the Red Devils’ tie against Liverpool.
Key Team Stats
- Won 8 of their last 12 games in all competitions (D3 L1).
- Won their last 7 FA Cup home games without conceding a goal.
- Beaten Liverpool 9 times in 17 FA Cup meetings (D4 L4).
- Have reached the FA Cup quarter-finals (or better) in the last 6 seasons.
- Lost all 4 of their domestic games at Old Trafford.
- Bruno Fernandes has made 25 goal contributions this season (15 goals, 10 assists) in only 28 appearances.
Liverpool Form & Stats
Jurgen Klopp’s men head to Manchester on the back of a shock 1-0 home defeat to Burnley on Thursday. The club’s 68-match unbeaten run at Anfield in the Premier League ended and exposed the problems brewing.
Liverpool are clearly out of form and out of confidence. They’ve failed to score in their last four league games (D2 L2) and are winless in 2021 so far. Their sole success in the new year came in a 4-1 win over a youthful Aston Villa in an FA Cup third-round tie.
What probably worried Klopp the most was how Liverpool squandered their dominance against Burnley. The Reds had 72% possession but were slow and ponderous for much of the match. Now they head to Manchester United in what is a win-or-bust FA Cup tie. Victory could very well get their campaign back on track, while a defeat will extend the club’s poor run of form.
Key Team Stats
- Won just 1 of their last 5 games in all competitions (D2 L2).
- Failed to score in their last 4 league games.
- Won just 2 of their last away league games (D5 L2).
- Jurgen Klopp has never progressed past the fifth round in the FA Cup.
- Scored in 15 of their last 17 away FA Cup games.
- Last club to beat Manchester United in the FA Cup fourth round 2-1 in 2012.
- Haven’t beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford since a 3-0 victory in March 2014.
- Won their last 3 FA Cup penalty shoot-outs.
Team News
Manchester United
Out: Phil Jones, Brandon Williams, Marcos Rojo.
Doubts: N/A.
Liverpool
Out: Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Diogo Jota, Naby Keita.
Doubts: Jordan Henderson, Joel Matip
Predicted Line-ups
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Top Goalscorers in the Premier League
Head-To-Head Record (Premier League)
Below are some head-to-head stats on each team’s recent form in the Premier League.
Match Facts
Betting Tips
More Odds
Be sure not to miss out on the latest news about Manchester United
Download our brand new App and follow your favorite players, clubs, and much more
