Manchester United vs. Liverpool: Back Reds To Rebound in FA Cup Battle

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Just one week after their Premier League clash at Anfield, Manchester United and Liverpool head east to Old Trafford for a matchup in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The cup can be difficult to predict because some teams tend to put their focus on the league, especially in a position like United find themselves in atop the Premier League.

Let’s see what we can gather that helps us find betting value.

Here are two players that from what I can gather will be playing against Liverpool for United: Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford. Fernandes spoke to the United website about the game and frankly doesn’t miss much action, so I think it’s safe to assume he will be involved. Rashford came on for only the final five minutes in United’s last game against Fulham in midweek, so he’ll be fresh for this game.

In the Premier League, the Red Devils are on fire, undefeated since Nov. 1 with their only draws in that span coming against Manchester City, Leicester City and Liverpool.

While United is hot, there are concerns. Of their 10 wins during this hot stretch, seven have been by one goal, including their last four against Wolves, Aston Villa, Burnley and Fulham. There is a sense that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, while playing well, is narrowly avoiding defeat.

Manchester United’s goalscoring has also dried up over the past five games, in which they have combined to score five goals. They’ve allowed just two goals in that span, a credit to their backline being boosted by Eric Bailly’s recent form.

Speaking of goals drying up, let’s talk about Liverpool.

Since the Reds put in seven against Crystal Palace on Dec. 19, they have scored twice in the Premier League in their last five matches. For an attack like Liverpool, that is unfathomable.

A big reason for that drought is a lack of options going forward at the moment, something Liverpool didn’t have to worry about earlier in the season when new signing Diogo Jota was lighting the Premier League and Champions League up with goals.

Jota has been out with a knee injury since starting a meaningless Champions League game against Midtjylland on Dec. 9. Liverpool have scored more than once just twice in eight Premier League games since then.

In past years, manager Jurgen Klopp has not thought highly of the FA Cup, playing mostly a reserve side in each round. In Round 3 against a team made up of players who feature primarily for the Aston Villa reserve team, though, the Liverpool team sheet featured the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho. Thiago, Roberto Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all appeared off the bench, as well.

The Reds’ seven fixtures after this game feature matchups in the league with Tottenham, Manchester City, Leicester and Everton, who are two points back in the league table of Liverpool with two games in hand, as well as the first leg in the Champions League knockout stages against RB Leipzig.

With fixtures coming in hot and heavy for Liverpool, they need to get right quickly. This presents a perfect opportunity for Klopp’s men to do so on a big stage against a big rival.

The matchup last Sunday between these teams saw each side register more than 1.00 expected goals, indicating there were chances to be had. Without replays in the cup, I think Liverpool look to win this one and gather momentum going into the match on Thursday against Spurs.

Neither Salah or Firmino started in the Reds’ loss to Burnley on Thursday, which means both are more likely to be included in the starting lineup for this game.

While the form isn’t there, I trust Liverpool to get right at some point. Assuming Klopp doesn’t start a team primarily made up of reserves and first-team outcasts — in which case I wouldn’t blame anyone for not betting Liverpool — this is a good spot to trust the Reds at plus odds.