Born in the south east of Ireland, Simon put his life-long love of football to good use when he started a successful independent blog in 2010. That opened up an alternative route to a career in journalism, and having had work published across a number of sites and publications, Simon joined the staff at Spotlight Sports Group in 2018.
Liverpool and Manchester United’s relationship is a perennial conflict that goes well beyond the traditional definition of a sporting rivalry.
The clubs have long been each other’s footballing nemesis, and every fixture between England’s two most successful sides comes heavily wrapped in layers of hate.
On Sunday at Anfield, Liverpool and Manchester United will write the latest chapter of this thrilling war-epic.
It’s a game that rarely fails to deliver goals, drama and incident by the ton. Consequently, Liverpool vs Manchester Untied is a terrific fixture to pick out some lucrative looking selections in the bookmakers’ player markets.
Take at look at our selections below.
Make sure to read our expert Liverpool vs Manchester United match preview for more predictions and betting tips.
Ashley Young to be booked – 11/8
Veteran full-back Ashley Young is consistently one of Manchester United’s most committed players. However, a regular by-product of that overzealous attitude is a mistimed tackle or three, and Young has been booked 5 times in 11 Premier League games this season.
Only 4 players in the league have been shown yellow more often than the 33-year old former Aston Villa star. Young, who is expected to captain United at Anfield on Sunday, is priced at 11/8 with bet365 to get booked again.
Check out the rest of our Premier League Corners and Cards Predictions and Betting Tips here
James Milner to get an assist – 4/1
Liverpool’s midfield utility man has become something of a talismanic figure for Jurgen Klopp. Milner’s qualities on the ball, particularly his delivery from set-pieces are often undersold, and the 32-year old is often unfairly portrayed as a grafter and little else.
Milner has collected 2 Premier League assists this season, cementing his place in the all-time top 10 list of goal providers in the division with 80 – a total that puts him level with David Beckham in 7th.
Milner’s wicked delivery from a dead ball is sure to come in handy on Sunday. Only 5 teams in the Premier League have conceded more goals from set pieces than Man Utd this season.
We think Milner looks a fantastic bet to grab another assist at 4/1 with bet365.
Mohamed Salah to score anytime – 4/5
This might seem like an obvious one, but bet365’s price of 4/5 for Salah to score anytime against United’s ramshackle defence on Sunday is simply too good to ignore.
It’s interesting to note Salah and the other two members of the Reds’ frightening attacking triumvirate, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, have never scored or assisted a single Premier League goal against Manchester United for Liverpool – that stat might have helped to push Salah’s odds to the superb price detailed above.
The Egyptian winger comes into Sunday’s game fresh from scoring 4 goals in 2 games, and driven on my that momentum, Salah will be chomping at the bit to break his Manchester United Premier League duck.
Take a look at the best and most up to date Premier League betting offers here.
Romelu Lukaku to have under 1.5 shots – 5/4
Belgian international striker Romelu Lukaku has quickly developed into a comedic figure in the Premier League. The centre-forward’s performances have been lampooned on social media in the form of compilation videos and gifs, with his first touch in particular the focus of most of the sneers.
Lukaku looks like a player drastically low on confidence, though most strikers would suffer in an attacking system that regularly leaves them isolated and criminally underserviced.
Even in Mourinho’s reductive structure, United’s number 9 has averaged 1.9 shots per game this season, though in bigger games, the Belgian’s influence has been severely reduced.
Lukaku managed just 1 shot in anger at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea earlier in the season, though he didn’t start against City at the Etihad.
In last season’s corresponding fixture at Anfield between Liverpool and United, Lukaku touched the ball just 28 times, getting just 1 shot away in total. In comparison, Jordan Henderson had 112 touches of the ball and Nemanja Matic 73.
On Sunday, Lukaku is likely to cut an equally peripheral figure in a game that Liverpool are expected to dominate. Starved of the ball, Lukaku is certain to offer little goal threat, and that makes bet365’s odds of 5/4 for the 25-year old to have under 1.5 shots a brilliant price.
Sadio Mane to have over 1.5 shots – 4/7
At the other end of the pitch, Liverpool’s Sadio Mane should have plenty of possession at the sharp end of the home attack.
Mane is never afraid to let fly and the Senegalese international has averaged 2.4 shots per game this season – the second highest total in the Liverpool squad behind Mohamed Salah.
With mounting injury problems for Mourinho, it’s unclear who will be deployed at right back to track Mane’s movements. Whether it’s a half-fit Antonio Valencia or the inexperienced Diogo Dalot, Mane will fancy his chances of easily winning his individual battle in that area of the pitch.
You can get odds of 4/7 with bet365 for Mane to have over 1.5 shots for Liverpool against Man Utd on Sunday.
Find out where you can find more goals this weekend in our Match Goals Form Guide.
Check out all of our expert match previews, predictions and betting tips for the rest of the weekend’s Premier League action.
