Michael Owen fears the picture is so bleak for Manchester United at present that they will be ‘relieved’ to escape Anfield on Sunday with a 2-0 defeat.
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Erik ten Hag’s confidence-starved side return to the scene of last season’s 7-0 thrashing at their lowest ebb under the Dutchman so far.
United’s European fate was sealed on Tuesday following a listless defeat against Bayern Munich, which came hot on the heels of a demoralising 3-0 home defeat against Bournemouth.
To compound the misery, Ten Hag is also dealing with a lengthy injury list and the situation shows no sign of easing following the setbacks suffered by Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw in midweek.
Captain Bruno Fernandes, meanwhile, is suspended after he needlessly picked up his fifth caution of the season against the Cherries.
Liverpool, by contrast, are in rude health and top the Premier League ahead of what promises to be a crucial weekend at both ends of the table.
Jurgen Klopp will enjoy the benefit of resting four key players this evening against Union Saint-Gilloise and Owen believes the result on Sunday is such a foregone conclusion that avoiding a thrashing would be deemed acceptable.
‘I’d say Man Utd will be a little bit nervous about going to Anfield considering their recent form,’ Owen told BoyleSports, who offer the latest Premier League Betting.
‘Anfield can be a stadium where you can take a real beating, and Man United have felt that in the past! Instead of going there with fear and defending the entire game, they should look at how Spurs played against Man City.
‘They had a real plan and arrived at the Etihad with no fear. They could have easily lost 6-1, but that’s the only way you improve!
‘Once you have a blueprint, then you can amend it from there.
‘My concern with Manchester United is that they’ll go to Anfield and lose 2-0, then a few players will be relieved that it wasn’t a 5-0 embarrassment! If I were them, I would pick a way of playing, stick to it, and then hope to get better.
‘I’d say 2-0 to Liverpool. It’ll be a reasonably comfortable win. Look at how the two teams are playing at the moment!’
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