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TWO SLEEPING GIANTS AWAKEN
LIVERPOOL
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Liverpool are currently in top-form. After a shaky start to the 2017-18 campaign, especially when it came to their defending, the club has lost only once in the league since late October. They are the only side to have defeated Pep Guardiola’s record-setting Manchester City this season and as of last night, eliminated FC Porto from the Champions League with ease, advancing to the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since 2008-09.
Life is good in Merseyside at the moment. Jürgen Klopp has reshaped Liverpool FC into his vision and it is paying huge dividends. Only Manchester City has scored more goals than Klopp’s LFC in 2017-18. The defensive transformation has been even more impressive. Liverpool were leaking goals at an alarming pace against inferior competition for much of the season’s first half. This has since been stabilized and LFC’s defence has become a respectable unit. Klopp’s back four are now ranked sixth in the English top flight for fewest goals conceded.
Thanks to the meteoric rise of Mohamed Salah, the continued outstanding play of Roberto Firmino, and the return-to-form of Sadio Mané, Liverpool has cut what was once an almost double-digit deficit to Manchester United in the table, down to a mere two points. A win on Saturday would place them above United for the first time this season (following the completion of a match day).
MANCHESTER UNITED
Manchester United had a brilliant start to the current campaign and looked to be a legitimate Premier League title contender early on. It wasn’t until October 21st that United suffered their first league setback, a shocking defeat away to Huddersfield. Since matchday 9, Jose Mourinho’s side has lost four additional league matches, two more than Manchester City and Liverpool combined. A once-cozy second place is now in serious jeopardy as we approach this weekend’s derby.
Mourinho has been criticized by his own fan base, as well as football pundits from around the world over the past few months. His tactics, in particular, have been called into question. Manchester United feature a world-class roster, yet, Mourinho habitually instructs his players to “park the bus,” even against lesser opponents. A near defeat at the hands of relegation candidates Crystal Palace still has many United supporters shaking their heads. In particular, Mourinho’s team selection for this match has come under harsh scrutiny.
History proves that Jose Mourinho will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the greatest to ever walk the touchline. Unfortunately for the Portuguese manager, he inherited a Manchester United that is in the midst of it’s longest league title drought since 1991-92. In other words, patience at Old Trafford is wearing thin. The fact that City have distanced themselves entirely from MUFC, and Liverpool being within three points of overtaking them, has many supporters of the club understandably upset. “Bus parking” simply won’t do on Saturday. Mourinho’s side needs to be aggressive.
