Good afternoon, hope you’re having a restful Sunday and thank you for joining us for a fixture that is quickening the pulse for all sorts of reasons. For Liverpool, of course, a chance to go top and two points ahead of Arsenal. For Manchester United, a chance to consolidate their grasp on, erm, sixth place. And for Erik ten Hag (see previous remark), a chance to prove to United’s new controllers that he should be given the chance to fight on. It’s probably a stretch to say that defeat will cost him his job but the Dutchman is surely drinking in the last chance saloon one way or the other. Here’s the Telegraph’s Jim White on that whole farrago.
For a certain sort of fan, the match will also present the opportunity for obnoxious chanting; here’s Jurgen Klopp’s plea for an end to that here.
Here’s ETH explaining what he is looking for from his players: “We can play to a very high standard. We can compete with the best and beat the best in the Premier League and when you can do that, you can also do it across Europe. We need to learn how to bring big games over the line, Saturday (Brentford) was an example. We have to step up, make better decisions individually and as a team.”
Sure. And he’s urging his players to get angry.
“We will be in a positive mood. We will be looking forward. We have to take energy but we will be mad, angry. From anger you can take a lot of energy and that is how we have to do it.”
And his countryman Cody Gakpo is keeping his feet on the ground in the opposing dressing room, by the sounds of it.
“Obviously we are aware of the situation but we just try to approach every game and stay calm,” said Gakpo. “Your mind can go all over the place if you are thinking about the end of the season, but we just have to take it game by game. We are doing it pretty well at the moment and we just need to stay calm and stay focused.”
We will see what XI players ten Hag and Klopp each select at about 1430, and then the kick off is at 3.30pm UK time.