After being hammered 7-0 by Liverpool on Sunday, Manchester United’s players faced more misery in the dressing room. Now, they must prove they can bounce back.
Liverpool fans will want to celebrate the victory over Manchester United for some time to come — and rightly so. After all, it is not every weekend that you get to beat your rivals 7-0.
And Liverpool’s players will have taken plenty of positives from the performance heading into the business end of the campaign, with much work still to be done in the Champions League race.
A win in that manner can only do wonders for the confidence of Jürgen Klopp’s side, who faces Bournemouth next before a long wait for more Premier League action, returning in April with a massive week in which it plays Manchester City and Chelsea away and then current league leaders Arsenal at Anfield.
Having swept Manchester United aside, however, there should be more than enough belief that a place in the top four is very much on, with Spurs continuing to be inconsistent and Newcastle United now having been overtaken in the standings.
According to The Athletic, Manchester United’s players sat in stunned silence in the dressing room at the final whistle of last Sunday’s drubbing, with the celebrations of their Liverpool counterparts heard ‘booming through the walls’.
Klopp’s men, for their part, more than deserved to make the most of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to revel in such a victory, while the real test of Manchester United could be later today.
Facing Real Betis in the Europa League, Manchester United will play for the first time since that 7-0 hammering, with its reaction to what happened set to be telling.
At Old Trafford, it will be expected that the players put in a very different performance as they try and make amends, but it will be fascinating to see whether Manchester United’s confidence has taken a hit, or whether that was truly a one-off blip.
If there is any sign of weakness from Erik ten Hag’s team, it might not just be fourth spot in the Premier League that Liverpool will be eyeing up; third might just be up for grabs as well, meaning Liverpool should be watching carefully.
Liverpool now dealt disheartening injury blow as medical staff decide best course of action – report
Luis Diaz is not expected to be involved for Liverpool when they travel to Bournemouth in Saturday’s early kick in what is a disappointing blow for Jurgen Klopp’s side, that’s according to Football Insider.
Recent reports have suggested that the Colombian is ready for a return to action against the Cherries and then Real Madrid next week but those hopes have now been quashed with the trip to Manchester City on April 1 now rumoured to be a more appropriate return date for the former Porto man.
Our No. 23 has been out of action since injuring his knee during the 3-2 defeat to Arsenal back in October and although he was on his way back to full fitness towards the end of last year, he suffered a setback during the Reds’ winter training camp in Dubai before Christmas and has remained sidelined since then.
The 26-year-old revealed recently that he was hopeful of featuring for Liverpool at the Bernabeu but the club’s medical department is insisting that no risks should be taken.
Following our trip to the Spanish capital where we’re looking to recover from the 5-2 defeat in the first leg, our clash with Fulham at Anfield has been postponed due to the London club’s involvement in the FA Cup.
It then means that we begin April with theclash against Pep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad.
We can’t wait to see Diaz back in action but fully understand that he should be gradually eased back into the side and only when he’s 100% ready.