‘Man Utd have weaknesses Liverpool can really go and attack’

[BBC]

It is Manchester United v Liverpool at Old Trafford this weekend, a massive game for many reasons - rivalry and also history between the two football clubs - but this time it feels closer than it has been in the past couple of years.

It feels like, in the past couple of years, Liverpool have been the superior side with the better players and management but, as it stands, United are three points clear of Liverpool in third place in the Premier League.

They're doing very well under Michael Carrick and it's always tough to go to Old Trafford even if we have had some really good results - 3-0 and 5-0 - in the past few years.

United will be really up for it. They’ll be harder to break down and harder to play against. They’ll have more structure to how they play.

Saying that, I did see how they played against Brentford and, honestly, that game could have ended 3-3 or 2-2.

There are weaknesses there for Liverpool to really go and attack, but Liverpool have to put them to the sword - they have to be clinical when they need to be. And it's whether Liverpool can do that.

Liverpool are on a decent run of form, especially in terms of getting the results, and have had a little bit of a boost in morale. But we’re going to need to be absolutely brilliant on Sunday because United will create a really good atmosphere and be prepared to take on this Liverpool side.

And in Carrick, there is definitely a person there who knows what rivalry in this fixture means because he's played in it.

I expect their team to be fully bought in to beating Liverpool, who are weakened without Mo Salah - who loves a goal against United - and also by not being able to bounce back this season when things have gone against them. United will try to latch on to things like that.