Big Question: Can Man Utd end 10-year wait for win at Anfield?

Football writer Ben Bloom sets the stage for Sunday's mouthwatering encounter between fierce rivals Liverpool and Manchester United, weighing up form, injuries and records.

​​‌͏Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.

Five different managers have taken Manchester United to Anfield since their last victory over Liverpool there, which came under Louis van Gaal in January 2016 – a period of 10 matches in the Premier League and European competition without a win.

On Sunday afternoon, at the 11th time of asking, Amorim heads to Liverpool just as the reigning Premier League champions appear to be wobbling, suffering three successive defeats for the first time in Arne Slot’s reign.

So is this the perfect occasion for United to end their barren Anfield run?

‘We are playing better’

The statistics make grim reading for Man Utd fans: 10 matches, no wins and, until their last outing in January when they scored twice in a 2-2 draw, just a solitary goal.

Last nine Liverpool v Man Utd Premier League matches at Anfield

Since Man Utd last emerged victorious at Anfield, Manchester City have won six Premier League titles, Liverpool two, while Leicester City have won the Premier League, been relegated, won the Championship and then returned to the second tier again.

In fact, Amorim’s side seem to have issues travelling anywhere at the moment. The Red Devils have not won a Premier League game on the road since beating Leicester in March – a barren period of eight matches. They haven't gone longer without a league away victory since 1989.

But are there some flickers of joy? Well, yes and no. Compared to their disappointing 15th-place finish last campaign, United have often looked improved under Amorim of late.

The 2-0 win against Sunderland last time out was happily trouble-free, they secured a battling 2-1 triumph against Chelsea, and put in a strong performance in a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal.

Chance creation is no problem, with Man Utd's Expected Goals (xG) in the Premier League this season considerably higher than any other side. That they have only managed nine goals is a bigger concern.

Highest Expected Goals in Premier League 25/26

Defensively, only Arsenal (56) and Newcastle United (62) have faced fewer shots than Man Utd's 64 in the Premier League this season. But not all efforts are equal, and their average xG per shot faced is 0.16 – the highest of any side in the division.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, just three teams sit beneath them for overall Expected Goals Against (xGA).

Highest Expected Goals Against in Premier League 25/26

“We are playing better,” insisted Amorim on Friday. “We need to do better in both boxes.”

Any pressure the Portuguese may be feeling eased slightly with the routine Sunderland win prior to the international break, during which club owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe publicly backed the head coach, reminding supporters how long it took Sir Alex Ferguson to succeed after taking the Man Utd helm.

“It’s really good to hear that,” said Amorim. “I think it helps, also, our fans to understand that the leadership understands that it is going to take a while.

“But, at the same moment, I don’t like that because we’ll give a feeling that we have time to work things out.

“It’s good to feel the support, but we need to prove in football, especially in big clubs, that, every weekend, we are ready to win games.”

Liverpool’s mounting defeats

Liverpool sit only one point off top spot, but Amorim’s counterpart Slot has also been fielding increasingly difficult questions recently.

Before the international break, his side lost three consecutive matches, conceding late on against Crystal Palace and Chelsea in the league either side of a UEFA Champions League defeat at Galatasaray. Liverpool have not lost three successive Premier League games since February 2021. 

The manner of last year’s comprehensive title win, combined with a reported £450million outlay on new players over the summer, has increased pressure on Slot to ensure his side retain their silverware.

But settling a much-changed squad has proved tricky. Record-signing Alexander Isak is yet to score in the league, fitting Florian Wirtz in has upset a previously stable midfield, attack-minded full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have yet to show their best, while centre-back Ibrahima Konate has struggled for his best form.

Encouragingly, though, a number of Slot’s players excelled on international duty. Mohamed Salah scored twice to send Egypt to the FIFA World Cup 2026, Cody Gakpo notched three times in two games for the Netherlands, also assisting a Virgil van Dijk goal. Alexis Mac Allister also netted twice for Argentina in a friendly, while Dominik Szoboszlai, Wirtz and Conor Bradley all caught the eye.

However, despite playing 90 minutes in both of Sweden’s disappointing World Cup qualifying defeats to Switzerland and Kosovo, Isak did not find the net in either. Slot admitted that is “not what you’re hoping for”, and suggested “I think we can judge him in a fair way from now on” after the striker’s delayed start to the season.

He added: “If we compare ourselves to last season, we don’t create as many chances. But we are still the team that from open play creates the most xG chances, most shots on target.

“But we’ve conceded too many goals, that’s for sure, and we’ve conceded nine, where four of them are from set-pieces.

“I think in open play we are conceding too many crosses, so that is one of the things what we have to address and what we have to do better.”

Konate is hoping to be fit after picking up a thigh injury in the Chelsea defeat, but Slot confirmed goalkeeper Alisson will likely be out for at least the next two matches.

Closing the gap

Defeat for Liverpool on Sunday could see them start slipping down the table. Before United’s visit, league leaders Arsenal will have faced Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur hosted Aston Villa and Man City welcomed Everton. All three clubs, plus AFC Bournemouth and Palace, may sit above the current champions at kick-off.

“Results don’t lie,” admitted Slot. “If you lose three in a row then you have to do better. We have to react.”

For Man Utd, and Amorim in particular, a series of crucial matches await. The Anfield encounter is followed by a home game against Brighton & Hove Albion, and trips to Nottingham Forest and Spurs. In each of the past two seasons, they have lost all of those fixtures.

Asked on Friday what was a realistic aim to close the current wide gap to Liverpool, Amorim admitted: “I don’t know how long it is going to take.”

Ending a decade-long drought this weekend would be an important place to start.