Liverpool and Manchester United will face each other for the first time this season at Anfield on Sunday.
United haven’t won at Liverpool in almost 10 years and since then the gap between the clubs has widened.
In the subsequent period, the Merseysiders won the Premier League title twice, while the biggest prize in the domestic game has not been won at Old Trafford since 2013 and Sir Alex Ferguson’s final year.
Liverpool looked to be on course to retain the crown they won last season, but back-to-back defeats to Crystal Palace and Chelsea, either side of a Champions League defeat at Galatasaray, mean Arne Slot’s side look unusually vulnerable heading into this match.
United continue to fluctuate between half-decent and downright awful. They are still yet to win back-to-back league games under Ruben Amorim and, until that changes, a return to the Champions League seems a distant dream.
So what about Sunday? If you put the two teams together, what would a better XI look like? We tried here…
Goalkeeper
Giorgi Mamardashvili (Liverpool)
If Alisson was fit he would come into the side. As things stand, his replacement at Anfield is our number one choice. Although he has yet to have much of a chance to shine at Liverpool, his performances for Valencia and Georgia have earned him the nod.
United’s goalkeepers have been in shambles for some time, but Senne Lammens appears to have the right credentials. The Belgian did well against Sunderland on his debut, but the assessment of that performance could have been very different had he been stopped for a flagrant foul on the visitors’ Bertrand Traore in the second half.
Right rear
Jérémie Frimpong (Liverpool)
Another player who has yet to really shine since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen this summer. For the purposes of this XI, his biggest challenge came from teammate Conor Bradley and not Diogo Dalot.
Central halves
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
The obvious choice. The Netherlands international continues to be one of the Premier League’s standout defenders and, even at 34, he would grace any team in the elite.
Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool)
Konate is not as compelling a selection as his defensive partner, but he would still join the United squad. Amorim’s defense has scored 11 goals in seven Premier League matches this season, an average of over 1.5 per game. Only the bottom five have conceded more.
Left rear
Milos Kerkez (Liverpool)
Much like Frimpong, this is a selection based on what he can do, rather than what he has produced for Liverpool so far. The Hungarian international has been sensational at Bournemouth and it is only a matter of time before he returns to his best form.
Defensive midfielder
Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)
One of the main reasons why Liverpool won the championship last season. The Dutchman has the physical ability and passing range to dominate any game.
Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
An unsung hero of the Liverpool midfield. The Argentina star has been a little below average in recent weeks, but his performances in helping his country win the World Cup in 2022 show he is the man for the big occasion.
Attacking midfielder
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
It could rightly be argued that Salah is not an attacking midfielder, especially given his apparent reluctance to track back. But, label him whatever you want, he’s one of the first names on that team sheet.
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)
The Hungarian has filled in at right-back this season, but he functions better in a more attacking role.
United fans would naturally argue for Bruno Fernandes in this role. But, as talented as the Portuguese playmaker is, we prefer Szoboszlai’s athleticism.
Florian Wirtz will come good but is missing here.
Cody Gakpo (Liverpool)
Maybe not even play on Sunday with Hugo Ekitike waiting in the wings. Gakpo is another solid runner who should find space behind United’s full-backs. If he is chosen by Slot, don’t be surprised if he turns out to be the winner of the match.
Striker
Alexander Isak (Liverpool)
Neither Isak nor Benjamin Sesko have joined their new clubs. But Isak has done it before in the Premier League and even those leaning towards United would struggle to make the case for Sesko’s inclusion.
Conclusion
Are the streets of Liverpool ahead of Manchester United? Yes, even if they haven’t hit the next level yet this season.
Are we confident United will improve under Amorim? No, no, we are not.
