Manchester United and Liverpool have produced a sequence of fixtures rich in drama and sudden swings of fortune. Michael Carrick set the tone ahead of his first meeting with the rival: “There’s big games and big rivalries that we have with other teams,” Manchester United manager Michael Carrick mused before his first managerial meeting with Liverpool, “but certainly this one is right up there in the history.”

One FA Cup quarterfinal captured that chaos in microcosm. Scott McTominay opened inside 10 minutes, only for the contest to unravel at the back for the hosts late on. In the closing stages United’s right winger Antony was deployed at left back beside Bruno Fernandes, who ended up orchestrating play from a deep defensive position. Antony forced extra time with an 87th-minute intervention after Liverpool had gone 2–1 up on the cusp of half time. Harvey Elliott nudged the visitors back in front, Marcus Rashford restored parity, and Amad Diallo snatched victory in the 121st minute. Diallo was shown a red card in the 122nd minute after collecting a second booking for taking his shirt off to celebrate the winner.

Less than a month later United applied a major dent to Liverpool’s Premier League hopes and ensured Jürgen Klopp would not have a happy sendoff. United were only denied all three points by Mohamed Salah’s late penalty. “It feels like a loss,” Virgil van Dijk lamented after the final whistle.

Arne Slot’s first visit to Old Trafford brought a different story. Liverpool ran rampant, Luis Díaz struck a first-half brace and Mohamed Salah added a further goal as the Theatre of Dreams emptied at half time. Casemiro was withdrawn at the interval by Erik ten Hag. Slot later explained how he outsmarted Ten Hag in his postmatch interview with Sky Sports.

January 2025, amid a Merseyside blizzard, arrived when Manchester United were fragile after four straight defeats and seven unanswered goals conceded. Under Ruben Amorim the visitors produced arguably their best performance of his doomed reign: Lisandro Martínez gave United an early lead, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah replied quickly, and Amad Diallo’s 80th-minute equaliser preserved pride.

Even the more recent meeting in October 2025 held a twist. United’s wait for an Anfield victory had stretched to nearly a decade by the time Harry Maguire thundered in the winner in a 2–1 win after an opening goal inside 63 seconds and a Cody Gakpo leveller in the 78th minute.

Steve McClaren has described a clear split inside the Manchester United dressing room caused by the prolonged dispute between Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag.

McClaren, who worked as Ten Hag’s assistant, said the issue came down to tactical demands and individual willingness to meet them. “Erik tried to impose his style and that’s why he had that fight with Ronaldo all the way through,” he said. “I said to Erik, very early, ‘It’s you or him.’”

He outlined the specific responsibilities Ten Hag expected from attackers when the team was out of possession. “Ronaldo was generally O.K., but he didn’t want to do the job that Erik wanted him to do. Or didn’t feel he was capable of doing it. The instructions out of possession were, ‘Get into the middle, as soon as you’re back, you’re the first press, then double run, even a triple run now and again.’”

McClaren recalled trying to persuade Ronaldo to accept the programme. “I used to say to Ronnie, ‘If you want to play, that’s what you’ve got to do.’ He’d argue, ‘Ah, nobody wants to press.’ I’d say, ‘Well, they’re all young lads, they can press.’” He added that Ten Hag wanted a collective effort: “It’s right that 11 players attack, 11 players defend. Not 11 players attack, 10 players defend. So I said, ‘You have to run, it’s simple, Ronnie. If you don’t, you don’t play.’”

On the wider impact, McClaren suggested the balancing act between accommodating an individual and enforcing a system divided opinion inside the squad. “Maybe other managers have tried to adapt and accommodate to get the best out of him. The balance of that was significant. You’ve probably got half the squad going, ‘We think Ronnie’s right,’ and half going, ‘We think Erik is right.’”

McClaren also reflected on changing attitudes to authority, drawing on his earlier time at Old Trafford. He spent 142 games under Sir Alex Ferguson between 1999 and 2001 and warned that players now ask, “Can that man help us win football matches?” He added, “With Fergie, he was right or you were out. If you weren’t with him and he knew it, you were gone. And that’s the authority, the power that he had developed over years and years.”

Old Trafford hosts a tightly poised Premier League meeting this Sunday as Manchester United and Liverpool prepare for their 246th fixture. The sides arrive separated by three points. United beat Liverpool 2–1 at Anfield in October, while Arne Slot’s debut at Old Trafford produced a 3–0 win for Liverpool last term.

The contest may come down to individual battles. First is the duel around Bruno Fernandes. Ryan Gravenberch was the recipient of last season’s Premier League Young Player of the Season award, but it is Bruno Fernandes who now appears set to define this campaign. After his 19th assist of the term in Monday’s win over Brentford, one off matching the all-time division record for a single campaign, United’s skipper is the front-runner to win the league’s Player of the Season for 2025/26. He has eight Premier League goals and a league-high 114 chances created. Stopping Fernandes would tilt the game firmly in Liverpool’s favour. That is the task for Gravenberch, supported by Alexis Mac Allister in Liverpool’s double pivot. Gravenberch struggled to contain Fernandes in the reverse fixture at Anfield, where he was hooked after an hour; Fernandes created three chances, grabbing an assist and managing 12 passes into the final third.

The second key matchup is Dominik Szoboszlai against Casemiro. Szoboszlai has been Liverpool’s standout performer, winning five of the club’s eight Player of the Month awards and contributing 12 goals and nine assists in all competitions. With Hugo Ekitiké missing through injury and Mohamed Salah also out, more creative responsibility will fall to Szoboszlai. Casemiro will be charged with shackling Liverpool’s No. 8. While noted for timely attacking contributions this season, Casemiro’s return to his defensive best and Kobbie Mainoo’s reintegration have enabled him to concentrate on stopping opponents.

Finally, Alexander Isak seeks late redemption in a difficult debut season. A mixture of expectation and injury has limited him, but after his fourth Liverpool goal in last weekend’s victory over Crystal Palace, he has a few more chances to contribute. A strong performance at Old Trafford would offer a welcome confidence boost.