English Premier
2009-10-25 - Liverpool vs Manchester United
A Sports Betting Pick by Gooner
Football: England, Premier League 2009/2010
Sunday, 25th October 2009 - Kickoff 14:00
Liverpool (8th) Home 3-0-1 15:4
It's crisis time at Anfield as Liverpool's high league title hopes at the start of the season (and based on the form at the end of last season) have been blown away after four consecutive losses in all competitions).
But there are mitigating circumstances to that headline, with the calibre of opponents being very high in meeting Fiorentina, Chelsea, and Olympique Lyonnais, and in the one "easier" game Liverpool fielded a side without either Gerrard or Torres and then got done by the "beach ball" at Sunderland.
A look at Liverpool's home form in the league shows plenty of goals, and with five wins in the last six home league games (going back to last season) and 21 goals scored, Liverpool have been impressive at Anfield.
Sure, the calibre of the sides that have been beaten here so far this season is not top draw, but Stoke are sitting in 9th, and Burnley in 10th, so they weren't easy beats either.
Obviously the key factor will be whether Torres or Gerrard make the starting Liverpool line-up, as these two players are key to Liverpool's hopes, and I'll be back on Friday / Saturday to update that situation.
Friday night Team Update:
Liverpool's dire injury situation looks to be easing, with Fernando Torres (thigh) hopeful of returning.
Glen Johnson (groin) is also close to a comeback, but Steven Gerrard is struggling with a similar problem.
Manchester United (1st) Away 3-0-1 10:2
Manchester United have been making nearly every game a winning one, a trend that continued in midweek with a 1-0 win in Russia over CSKA Moscow.
Winning narrowly has been a large part of ManYoo's season so far, with five of the seven league wins by a single goal margin, and all three of the Champions League wins as well.
United's midfield does not seem as dominant as previous seasons, and in watching both the last two games at Old Trafford, I've been surprised to see how much possession and the number of changes that both Sunderland and Bolton were able to gain.
Having Van der Saar back in goal will be a big boost, and we should see Rooney start again up front as manager Alex Ferguson looks for a "knockout blow" against a side that he probably expected to be a big obstacle this season.
Friday night Team Update :
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson claims Wayne Rooney faces an "uphill fight" to be passed fit.
Rooney has missed the last two games with a calf injury. Darren Fletcher (groin) is a doubt, but Ryan Giggs and Patrice Evra return.
Head to Head
Manchester United have dominated this fxiture in the last six seasons, winning four and drawing one of the last six games here, and winning four of the reverse fixtures at Old Trafford as well.
BUT, (and it is a big but), Liverpool managed a rare double over United last season, winning this match 2-1, and then scoring a very significant 4-1 victory over United in Manchester.
Overall, the last 12 league clashes at all venues have seen Liverpool win three, United win eight, and just one game drawn.
The Betting Verdict
The thing with football teams, especially the good ones, is that recent results get blown out of all proportion, and bookmakers and punters cannot seem to see past the last 2-3 games.
Manchester United are winning nearly all of their games, and Liverpool are on a losing streak, but you know that in a months time the "crisis" tag will be sitting on another of the "big six" sides.
I expect Liverpool to be keyed up for this game, and the fact that Torres was kept out in midweek suggests that this game may have been the main focus all along for Liverpool.
However, I don't expect United to go down easily, in fact I don't expect them to be beaten here at all, and although only one game in the last twelve between the two sides has finished all square - I'm surprised to see it's the biggest priced result.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Liverpool 1-1 Manchester United
