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2023/24 English Premier League
Matchday 17
Liverpool v Manchester United
Anfield
Liverpool, England
Sunday, 17 December 2023
Kick-off is at 18h30
Manchester United will be dreading their trip to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, December 17 given their current predicament.
The Red Devils' season hit a new low on December 9 when they slumped to a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford, which was their second loss in three
Premier League outings.
Erik ten Hag's side lost ground to all but Arsenal in the top five after the Gunners lost 1-0 to Aston Villa at Villa Park, with the Reds, Manchester City and Tottenham winning their respective matches.
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The Merseysiders claimed top spot from the North Londoners after beating Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park to go nine games unbeaten in the league and open up a one-point gap at the summit.
United haven't beaten their fierce rivals at Anfield since 17 January 2016, while they're shipped 11 goals on their last two visits to the iconic ground.
Mohamed Salah loves playing against the Red Devils, having scored nine goals in his last five appearances in this fixture, including a hat-trick in a 5-0 demolition at Old Trafford on 24 October 2021. The Egyptian star reached a milestone for the club against the Eagles with his 200th goal, becoming only the fifth player in their history to achieve the feat.
Alamy Stock Photo
Scott McTominay could potentially move into a more advanced position in attack with Bruno Fernandes ruled out through suspension after picking up his fifth booking of the campaign against the Cherries. The Scottish midfielder is United's top scorer this season with five goals after bagging a match-winning brace in the 2-1 victory over Chelsea on December 6.
Klopp paid special tribute to Salah for his remarkable achievement in joining Ian Rush, Roger Hunt, Gordon Hodgson and Billy Liddell, who have all scored a double century of goals for the Reds.
"Incredible number for a super-special, super, super-special player. I don't know how often he saved us with a goal he scored in the right moment," the German said.
"It was a pretty loud reception in the dressing room when I gave him the shirt with the 200 on the back. Players were asking for a speech, but you have to ask him if he had one, because I [had to] go for media work! I don't know if he had one.
"But [it's] really special, [I'm] really happy for him now that it's off the shoulder because when you have 199 it's probably different to 198, so now we can go for the next 100."
Ten Hag insists the mentality of his players has to change after they were made to pay for a lack of focus at the start by Bournemouth.
"We started very poorly. There was I think a big difference, I think, to Chelsea when we started the game very well and we were very aggressive and very focused. Today, we were not," the Dutchman said.
"You can't be starting like this. You have to get a better position and it all has to do with focusing. I refer to that game from Chelsea. You have to be at your best in every game. That demands a lot of energy, starting with the right focus.
"When you start like we did, you can't do it. You get killed. You have to deliver every day. That demands a mentality, so you have to bring it. We have to change that."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Liverpool - 0
Man United - 3
Draws - 2
Premier League Matchday 17 fixtures:
Friday, December 15
22h00: Nottingham Forest v Tottenham Hotspur
Saturday, December 16
17h00: Bournemouth v Luton Town
17h00: Chelsea v Sheffield United
17h00: Manchester City v Crystal Palace
17h00: Newcastle United v Fulham
19h30: Burnley v Everton
Sunday, December 17
16h00: Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion
16h00: Brentford v Aston Villa
16h00: West Ham United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
18h30: Liverpool v Manchester United
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