This is Man Utd's best chance in 10 years to beat Liverpool at Anfield

Struggling Man Utd face out of sorts Liverpool at Anfield (Picture: Getty/REX)

Liverpool ’s grip on the Premier League title is, if not slipping, at least loosening.

A year after arriving at Anfield, Arne Slot finds himself battling a wave of injuries, poor form, and growing tactical uncertainty.

Confidence looks fragile and with Arsenal potentially four points clear by the time Liverpool face Manchester United on Sunday, the pressure is mounting.

Their opponents, meanwhile, are hardly at ease.

Ruben Amorim ’s project remains wildly inconsistent, with his players regularly fluctuating between flashes of promise and moments of chaos.

But for all their flaws, there is a sense this trip to Anfield – the club’s 100th competitive meeting with Liverpool – represents an opportunity.

With Liverpool depleted and wrestling with a crisis of confidence , Amorim’s men can smell vulnerability. The odds, for once, feel somewhat even.

Amad Diallo earned Man Utd a point at Anfield last season (Picture: Getty)

Liverpool entered the October international break battered and bruised, having lost three successive matches across all competitions for the first time since Slot’s appointment last summer.

Their defensive solidity has vanished – nine goals conceded in seven league matches, compared to just two at the same point last season – and clean sheets have been rare, just two so far against Burnley and Arsenal.

The injury list is lengthening, too. Alisson, Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch are all sidelined – Alisson and Gravenberch with hamstring issues , Konate with a thigh problem .

Gravenberch in particular has struggled to replicate his early-season influence, with opponents now wise to his ability and quick to press. Against Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez and Malo Gusto stifled him completely.

Liverpool have lost three games in a row under Arne Slot (Picture: Getty)

The bigger problem, though, lies further forward. Florian Wirtz’s £116m arrival was meant to spark a new creative era, but the 22-year-old German is still waiting for his first goal or assist in the Premier League.

Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann insists he simply needs time to adapt, and the stats support that argument – no player has created more chances (21) in the league this season.

Even Jurgen Klopp, watching from afar, believes the criticism has been overblow, telling TV station RTL: ‘He is a once-in-a-century talent. At some point he’ll show that in every game again – just as he did at Leverkusen.’

Alexis Mac Allister’s situation tells a similar tale. The Argentine is yet to complete 90 minutes for Liverpool this season, with a lingering muscle injury from last season disrupting his pre-season.

Struggling Liverpool star Florian Wirtz (Picture: Getty)

Inside the club, his situation has been likened to Alexander Isak’s – a player whose interrupted summer left him chasing match fitness and fluidity. Both are expected to improve after the break.

Mohamed Salah, meanwhile, has scored only twice in the league this season. He remains a force – 16 goals in 17 games against United proves that – but there can be no doubt that his output has dipped.

Without Trent Alexander-Arnold, the understanding on the right flank has faltered. Neither Jeremie Frimpong nor Conor Bradley offer the same comfort in possession as the Englishman, leaving Salah isolated and, at times, ineffective.

He still presses diligently, but his defensive contribution has waned, exposing Liverpool’s right side.

Slot knows that balance is delicate – Salah’s attacking brilliance is still worth the risk – yet opponents have increasingly targeted that space. Liverpool’s wide options are also thinner than they’ve been in years. After Luis Diaz’s move to Bayern Munich and Federico Chiesa the only senior winger on the bench against Chelsea, there is little room for rotation.

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Slot’s substitutions have raised eyebrows too – removing Isak at 74 minutes against Chelsea, just as he was growing into the game, baffled many. However, it is a team that are finding late goals.

In their 11 matches across all competitions, eight goals have come in the 83rd minute or later – a stat that suggests desperation more than dominance.

What once looked like Liverpool’s chance to build on a strong debut season under Slot is starting to feel more like the transitional year most expected a year ago.

And with a brutal fixture run looming – Brentford away, Aston Villa at home, then trips to Manchester City and West Ham – the pressure to rediscover their rhythm is immense.

Liverpool’s slump could not have come at a worse time. Arsenal look more polished, more complete, and crucially, more comfortable at the top of the table.

Seven games in, the Gunners are one point clear and could stretch that to four by the time Liverpool walk out on Sunday afternoon.

Mikel Arteta’s side face Fulham on Saturday evening, and given their form, few expect them to slip up. Arsenal have fixed their biggest flaw from last season: squad depth.

In their recent 2-0 win over West Ham, they were able to bring on Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Gabriel Martinelli, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri.

Arsenal cruised past West Ham last time out (Picture: Getty)

That luxury allows Arteta to rotate without weakening his team. Their only real concern is Viktor Gyokeres .

The Swedish striker, signed to finally solve their centre-forward problem, is six games without a goal and struggling to the requirements of the Premier League.

Arsenal have not had a 20-goal Premier League striker since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and until Gyokeres finds his rhythm, the Gunners may need to rely on goals from elsewhere.

Despite this slight question mark, Arsenal’s form is an ominous backdrop for Liverpool.

Arsenal have made a bright start to the season (Picture: Getty)

The knowledge that the Gunners could be four points clear adds psychological pressure.

Slot knows that the optics of falling behind this early – especially with Manchester City also lurking in the background – could amplify questions over his tactical tweaks and decision-making.

If Liverpool are potentially fragile, Manchester United are definitely unpredictable.

Amorim’s first year has been turbulent, his team regularly alternating between bold attacking football and baffling lapses in concentration.

United have generated the highest expected goals (xG) total in the league this season at 10.1, yet their finishing remains wasteful. They shoot regularly, but not from good positions.

In six of their seven games, they’ve out-shot the opposition, yet they’ve failed to win away from home.

Their last victory at Anfield came in 2016, when Wayne Rooney’s late strike nicked a 1-0 win. Since then, they’ve suffered humiliation and heartbreak on Merseyside, but the 2-2 draw last season at least hinted at progress.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains publicly supportive of Amorim, telling reporters last week: ‘Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years.’

The message to the fans is one preaching stability over short-term panic. But the numbers are stark.

Amorim has won just 19 of his 50 games in charge since his appointment last November, and he’s yet to manage back-to-back league victories.

Manchester United beat Sunderland before the international break (Picture: Getty)

His preferred 3-4-2-1 system has been met with criticism, with pundits suggesting it restricts Bruno Fernandes’ influence and leaves United vulnerable in transition.

Amorim’s tweaks in recent weeks at least suggest pragmatism has started to creep in. Against Sunderland, he instructed debutant goalkeeper Senne Lammens to go long rather than risk short passes under pressure.

Benjamin Sesko’s physical presence offered an outlet, with Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount feeding off second balls – a more direct style, but arguably one that suits the squad better.

Defensively, United remain stretched. Promising centre-back Ayden Heaven picked up a knock on England U20 duty, and Amorim’s options are thinning.

Yet there is a quiet optimism around the camp.

Bryan Mbeumo’s pace on the counter, Fernandes’ creativity, and Sesko’s growing confidence give them genuine threat.

Anfield, as ever, is a psychological barrier, but perhaps not an impenetrable one this time. Liverpool are vulnerable, uncertain, and under pressure.

Manchester United United, for all their flaws, have the tools to exploit that. If Amorim is to steady the noise around his tenure, this might just be the place to start.