The Sunday afternoon of May 3 sees Liverpool travel to Old Trafford for a classic Premier League showdown against their north-west rivals, Manchester United.
With just three points and one position separating them in the table, the stakes are high when it comes to league standings, although little else is at play.
United’s 29 points represent the best tally since Michael Carrick took charge. If the Red Devils secure a victory, Carrick will have guided the team back to the Champions League for next season. However, if Liverpool win at the Theatre of Dreams, the race for UCL qualification will be delayed by at least another week.
To put Carrick’s success into perspective, no other team has collected more points than United’s 29 since the former player stepped in for Ruben Amorim.
In fact, Carrick’s nine wins in 13 matches (two draws, two losses) surpass the Portuguese manager’s record from his first 20 Premier League games of the 2025-26 season (eight wins, seven draws, five losses).
Six of the last seven encounters at Old Trafford have ended in home victories, and United also boast the third-best home points record this season (36 points).
The Red Devils hold the historical advantage. Although the fixture has lost some of its luster in recent years, it remains one of English football’s elite matchups that fans never miss, regardless of the context. Players are always motivated for these clashes, and the atmosphere is electric, with nearly every game producing a talking point.
United’s only loss in their last five matches came against Leeds United, while Arne Slot’s side have only fallen to Paris Saint-Germain in their most recent five outings.
Across 193 official meetings, the Red Devils lead with 74 wins compared to Liverpool’s 65, along with 54 draws.
Slot can make history. Both teams have scored at least two goals in two of the last three head-to-heads, with one win each and a draw.
The last time they met at Old Trafford, Liverpool claimed a dominant 3-0 victory. If they repeat that success on Sunday, Slot will become the first Liverpool manager in history to win his first two league away games at this venue.
United did win the most recent meeting this season at Anfield, thanks to a late Harry Maguire intervention. If they prevail again on Sunday, it would mark the first time they have completed a league double over Liverpool since the 2015-16 season.
However, the hosts have only won three of the last 19 league meetings
