What a difference a few weeks make!
The Old Trafford outfit go into the game off the back of a win over Sunderland before the international break, and, if they were to triumph at Anfield, would find themselves just two points behind Liverpool! Would that mean they are in the title race?
They will have their work cut out, however, having won just two of their last 18 league meetings and failing to win at Anfield since 2016, with Wayne Rooney scoring the only goal that day.
Gone in 38 seconds
A year earlier, on March 22, 2015, United were also victorious on enemy turf in one of the more infamous meetings between the two sides.
Trailing to a first-half Juan Mata strike, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers looked to his bench where sat his captain Steven Gerrard, still recovering from injury.
Replacing Adam Lallana, Gerrard, playing this fixture for the final time, raced onto the pitch with the intention of changing the game.
He would achieve this, but not in the way he would have liked after receiving a red card from referee Martin Atkinson within 38 seconds of his introduction for a stamp on United’s Ander Herrera.
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Steven Gerrard sent off
Image credit: Getty Images
Anfield was left stunned, and United took advantage with Mata grabbing a second before Daniel Sturridge’s consolation and a missed Rooney penalty.
The result proved crucial, with United finishing fourth two months later and Liverpool eight points behind in sixth.
Liverpool XI
Simon Mignolet – Goalkeeper
Despite saving Rooney’s spot-kick, the clock was ticking on the Belgian’s time as Liverpool number one and under new manager Jurgen Klopp, he was eventually dropped.
He remained at the club as back-up until 2019, picking up a UEFA Champions League medal in his final match – albeit he was on the bench – before moving to Club Brugge, where he remains.
Emre Can – Centre-back
The versatile defender-cum-midfielder left Anfield at the end of his contract in 2018, moving to Juventus on a free and helping the club to the Serie A title in his first season.
A second year in Turin was less fruitful as he fell out of favour and moved to Borussia Dortmund on loan mid-season.
The move was made permanent and Can has since been made club captain.
Martin Skrtel – Centre-back
Gerrard wasn’t the only player to get caught up in the heat of the game, with the Slovakian defender later banned after a stamp on David de Gea that was missed by ref Atkinson.
Skrtel’s eight-year association with the club ended in 2016 for spells with Fenerbahce, Atalanta and Istanbul Basaksehir, before returning to his homeland to play for Spartak Trnava, and ending his playing career with FK Hajskala Raztocno.
He is currently Sporting Director at Spartak Trnava.
Mamadou Sakho – Centre-back
The French defender fell out of favour under Klopp following disciplinary issues in 2016 and joined Crystal Palace on loan before a permanent move to the South London side.
He then returned to France with Montpellier before a move to Georgian side Torpedo Kutaisi, but he left the club this summer.
Jordan Henderson – Central midfield
The ex-Sunderland midfielder was given the captain’s armband following Gerrard’s departure that summer and helped lead the club to Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup success.
After leaving the club on a free transfer at the end of his contract in 2023, he made the move to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Ettifaq – managed by Gerrard at the time – but lasted just six months before returning to Europe with Ajax.
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‘Bang out of order!’ – Henderson in heated argument with reporter over Ajax future
Video credit: SNTV
Joe Allen – Central midfield
The ‘Welsh Pirlo’ left Liverpool for Stoke in 2016, remaining with the Potters despite relegation from the Premier League in 2018, eventually returning to former club Swansea in 2022.
Allen retired from playing this summer.
Alberto Moreno – Left midfield
Moreno found himself in and out of the side before his eventual departure in 2019.
Having earlier lost in the UEFA Europa League final with the Reds in 2016, the Spaniard made amends in 2021 with Villarreal in a penalty shootout victory over United, coincidentally enough.
He currently plays for Como in Serie A having joined in 2024.
Raheem Sterling – Right midfield
Sterling made the unpopular move to Manchester City that summer, and in his seven years at the Etihad, played a key role in four Premier League title wins, scoring 131 goals in the process.
He then moved to Chelsea where he has been since 2022, aside from a loan spell with Arsenal for the 2024/25 campaign.
For England, Sterling was an integral part of the Three Lions teams that reached the 2018 World Cup semis and Euro 2020 final.
Adam Lallana – Right forward
Becoming more of a squad player following the arrival of Klopp later that year, Lallana eventually left the club in 2020 with Champions League and Premier League medals in his back pocket.
After four years at Brighton, he returned to Southampton last season but couldn’t prevent them from relegation to the Championship and retired at the end of the campaign.
He also earned 34 England caps, famously scoring the winning goal against Slovakia in Sam Allardyce’s only match in charge.
Philippe Coutinho – Left forward
The Brazilian went from strength to strength at Anfield following Klopp’s arrival, forming part of the ‘fab four’ with Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mane.
However, he caught the attention of Barcelona who signed him in a £142m deal in January 2018, but despite two La Liga title wins, inconsistent form saw him sent on loan to Bayern Munich in 2018, during which time he helped the German giants to a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble – most notably scoring against his parent club twice in an 8-2 quarter-final battering.
In 2022, he was loaned to Aston Villa, initially playing under then-manager and former team-mate Gerrard, before making the move permanent ahead of a loan to Al-Dulhail in Qatar. However, he is now back with the first club he played for, Brazilian side Vasco da Gama.
Daniel Sturridge – Centre forward
A series of injuries meant Sturridge would eventually lose his place in Klopp’s re-vamped forward line, leading to a loan move to West Brom in 2018, before joining Trabzonspor in 2019.
The Turkish club terminated his contract after less than a year, however, after he received a four-month ban for breaching gambling rules.
He last played for A-league side Perth Glory in 2022 and has since been working as a pundit – although he hinted at a potential change of sport in 2024 when he posted a video training with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.
Used subs
Steven Gerrard
Despite the ignominious exit to this match, Gerrard left Liverpool a legend that summer, and remains the club’s greatest ever player.
He moved to MLS for a season with LA Galaxy before hanging up his boots to return to Liverpool to work as a coach in the club’s academy.
Gerrard took the reins at Rangers in 2018, leading the Glasgow side to an ‘Invincible’ unbeaten title win two years later.
He then moved to Aston Villa but only lasted a year following an indifferent spell in charge.
Mario Balotelli
A disappointing spell at Anfield was followed by a disappointing loan move back to AC Milan the following season.
He seemed to rediscover his form and hunger after joining Nice, scoring 43 goals in two and a half years but fell out with manager Patrick Vieira, leading to short stints at Marseille, Brescia, Monza, Sion and two spells with Adana Demirspor.
He is currently without a club having left Genoa at the end of last season.
Unused subs: Glen Johnson, Kolo Toure, Rickie Lambert, Lucas Leiva
Manager: Brendan Rodgers
Having failed to build on his title charge the previous season, Rodgers was eventually sacked in the autumn of 2015, moving to Celtic the following year.
After lifting seven trophies in just under three years, Rodgers left mid-season to take over at Leicester in January 2019, leading the Foxes to a first ever FA Cup win in 2021.
Despite reaching the Conference League semis, Rodgers would be gone by 2023, returning to Celtic, and adding to his trophy haul.
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Wayne Rooney battles for the ball
Image credit: Getty Images
Manchester United XI
David de Gea – Goalkeeper
The Spanish stopper remained United’s number one until 2023, helping the club to two League Cups, one FA Cup and a Europa League win.
After a year out of the game, he joined Fiorentina in 2024, where he is still plying his trade.
Antonio Valencia – Right back
The Ecuadorian was released after ten years at Old Trafford in 2019 and returned to his homeland for a year with LDU Quito before moving to Mexico with Queretaro.
Phil Jones – Centre-back
Given the fleeting appearances in his final few years at the club, many will be surprised to learn that Phil Jones was still a Manchester United player as recently as 2023.
Injuries played their part but Jones was unable to force his way back into contention under the various managers in the Old Trafford dugout and after a year out of action, retired in 2024.
The 23-cap ex-England man has ambitions of getting into coaching and had a brief spell with United’s youth setup while studying for his badges.
Chris Smalling – Centre-back
Mistakenly referred to as ‘Mike’ by his manager Louis van Gaal, Smalling was a United player for a further four years before moving to Roma in 2019.
After five years in the Italian capital, winning the Conference League along the way, he moved the Saudi Arabian side Al-Fayha in 2024, where he plays currently.
Daley Blind – Left back
Blind would help United to victory over his former club Ajax in the 2017 Europa League final but was back in the Dutch capital a year later after leaving Old Trafford.
He would spend four more years in Amsterdam adding three Eredivisie titles to the four he won before moving to England, ahead a move to Bayern Munich for half a season.
In the summer of 2023, he joined La Liga side Girona, helping them to a historic third place finish and Champions League qualification.
Ashely Young – Left midfield
Young left United in 2020 to join Inter for a year, winning the Scudetto before returning to England with former club Aston Villa.
After two years at Villa Park, he moved to Everton until this summer, when he signed for Ipswich Town.
Ander Herrera – Central midfield
The popular midfielder and nemesis of Gerrard would win player of the match in the 2017 Europa League final and stayed at Old Trafford until 2019.
A three-year spell at Paris Saint-Germain followed in which he won two league titles and picked up a Champions League runners-up medal in 2020.
Returning to Athletic Club in 2022, more success followed in the form of the Copa del Rey, before a move to Boca Juniors in Argentina earlier this year.
Michael Carrick – Central midfield
The England midfielder was given the armband following Rooney’s departure in 2017 but a heart condition restricted his playing time, leading to his retirement at the end of that season.
He stayed at Old Trafford as part the coaching staff under both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer before leaving in 2021. Carrick then took on his first managerial role at Championship side Middlesbrough, leading them to both play-off and League Cup semi-finals before being sacked in the summer.
Juan Mata – Right midfield
The hero of the day at Anfield further endeared himself to the United faithful after scoring the equaliser in the ultimately triumphant FA Cup final win over Crystal Palace a year later.
Mata eventually left for Galatasaray in 2022. He then joined J-League side Vissel Kobe but after just one appearance, he signed for Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia, before recently moving to fellow A-League side Melbourne Victory.
Off the pitch, he is part-owner of MLS side San Diego FC and also an investor in the Alpine F1 team.
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Juan Mata celebrates at Anfield
Image credit: Getty Images
Marouane Fellaini – Central midfield
The hirsute Belgian remained at United until 2019, when he joined Shandong Taishan, winning a Chinses Super League crown and three Chinese FA Cups.
He retired from playing in 2024.
Wayne Rooney – Centre forward
Rooney departed Old Trafford in 2017 as the club’s all-time top scorer with 253 goals for a year with his first club Everton. He also broke the record as England’s top scorer during his time at United.
In 2018, he crossed the Atlantic to play for DC United in the MLS, scoring 25 goals in 52 games across two seasons before returning to England as a player-coach with Derby County in 2019, and calling time on his playing career after being appointed Rams manager on a full-time basis in 2021.
Used subs:
Angel Di Maria
Having failed to settle in his year in Manchester, the Argentine winger was swiftly out the door after just one season to join Paris Saint-Germain.
Seven years and nineteen trophies later, he moved to Juventus for a year ahead of an emotional return to Benfica for two seasons and more recently, another sentimental move to first club Rosario Central in his native Argentina.
Di Maria also scored for his country in their memorable World Cup final victory in 2022.
Radamel Falcao
‘El Tigre’ didn’t exactly roar at Old Trafford, nor at Chelsea in his next loan move the following season.
He sealed a permanent move to Galatasaray before spells with Rayo Vallecano and Millonarios in his native Colombia.
Marcos Rojo
Injury impacted the rest of the defender’s stay at United, eventually leading to first a loan move to Estudiantes, then a permanent transfer to Boca Juniors, who he left in the summer for Racing Club.
Unused subs: Rafael, Adnan Januzaj, Victor Valdes, Andreas Pereira
Manager – Louis van Gaal
Despite lifting the FA Cup the following year, a fifth-place league finish was not enough to keep Van Gaal in the Old Trafford job.
This would be his last role in club management, with his next move to lead the Dutch national side for a third time, guiding them to the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals before retiring.
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