After the international break, the Premier League is now once again back in action with six games on Saturday. All eyes will focus on two teams, Manchester United, which will take on Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Last Season
Manchester United
-Scored 62 goals in total and 16 (26%) came from set pieces.
-With 23 Wins, 19 games in which that Manchester United scored first.
-Conceded 37 goals in total, 19 (49%) of them occurred in the last 30 minutes of the game.
Liverpool FC
-Conceded 48 goals in total and 16 (33%) came from set pieces.
-With 18 Wins, in which only one game that Liverpool didn’t score first.
-Conceded 19 goals (40% ) in the last 15 minutes from both 1st and 2nd half of the game.
The first goal is key
The first team to score in this game will have a huge advantage. Last season, both teams won most of their matches when they first put the goal into its opponent’s net.
Furthermore, after four league games this season, Manchester United scored only three goals, and Liverpool only have two goals by far. However, both teams managed to have two wins and a draw out from their sloppy offense.
The Decisive 30 minutes
Concentration from players will determine the result of this game. As the statistic provided from last season, both teams had a tendency to concede goals in the closing stage of a game. In addition, a scored goal that breaks a tight in closing minutes will highly guarantee three points once the whistle is blown.
Key Players
Christian Benteke
The Belgium international is enduring a fine spell so far for Liverpool; however, scoring a league goal in four games means he is not yet reliable. Hence, this Saturday will put Benteke into a test of pressure and expectation.
Wayne Rooney
Despite his goal drought with Manchester United, the England captain broke Sir Bobby Charlton‘s scoring record by netting his 50th goal against Switzerland on Tuesday evening. Being the only experienced striker for Louis Van Gaal, Rooney is expected to perform, especially in games like this on Saturday.
Conclusion
The result of this game will provide a busty momentum or setback, which is going to hugely affect the Champions League football ambition for both teams. Nonetheless, a top four spot will remain as the major goal for both teams to score at the end of every weekend.
