Cautious Arne Slot defends Ruben Amorim ahead of Liverpool v Man Utd with 19-word statement
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been looking ahead to his side's clash with Manchester United on Sunday
Manchester United make the journey over to Liverpool on Sunday afternoon, looking to win back-to-back games under Ruben Amorim.
Ahead of the international break, the Red Devils beat Sunderland 2-0 after Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko scored within the first 31 minutes at Old Trafford to seal an impressive win.
That victory was their second-straight win at Old Trafford as they had defeated Chelsea 2-1 in their previous home outing. It is away from home that United have struggled, losing to Brentford, Manchester City and drawing at Fulham.
They also got knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two Grimsby Town in late August. Winning at Anfield would be the perfect place to get their first away victory of the campaign and Reds boss Arne Slot has taken a cautious approach when looking ahead to the game.
Arne Slot defends Man Utd start to Premier League season
Reds manager Slot feels that United are better than their record of three wins, one draw and three defeats from seven league games shows. He said: “United, in my opinion, has had a better start of the season than maybe the league table is showing.”
The Dutchman beat United 3-0 at Old Trafford last season but was held to a 2-2 draw by Amorim at Anfield earlier this year. Now he is being cautious ahead of the contest, admitting his side must be at their best to get a result.
He continued: “I look forward to every single Premier League game but maybe even more towards the United one, because I know how special it is and I've experienced last season how special a game it is. We know that it's probably the game that's been watched the most all over the world. It's special to be part of it but in the end it's also a game where we have to be at our best.
“A very interesting game and a game to look forward to, especially because it's played at Anfield. I think our fans have been so supportive for us as long as I'm here and long before I was here. I think they understand that the team that has lost three times in a row, they need to be ready, our team, but I think our fans can help us and will help us on Sunday as well.”
Man Utd top Premier League xG table
Ahead of the Premier League getting back underway, United are top of the Premier League xG table. xG is a statistic that measures how many goals a team should score based on the quality of chances created.
It does offer encouragement to Amorim and suggest Slot is also aware of how United have performed in the early weeks of the campaign. United’s xGA - expected goals to be conceded - is only bettered by Newcastle United and Arsenal. The xGA measures how many goals a team should concede based on the chances the opposing team can create.
Liverpool’s xG and xGA are both lower than United’s this season - the question remains if the Red Devils can make it count on Sunday.