Liverpool host Manchester United on December 17 at Anfield, with the Reds sitting at top spot by just one point. This is the Liverpool predicted lineup for this Premier League clash.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs Manchester United in Huge Derby Clash
How Liverpool Have Lined-Up Recently
Caoimhín Kelleher had started three in a row, but Alisson Becker returned to the team against Crystal Palace last weekend.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kostas Tsimikas have occupied the full-back positions, whilst Virgil van Dijk has started at centre-half. Alongside the Dutchman, there have been various partners: Jarell Quansah, Ibrahima Konaté, and Joël Matip have all featured.
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Dominik Szoboszlai appears to be the only undroppable midfielder: fellow starters Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister were rested asynchronously last week. Wataru Endo and Curtis Jones have both found minutes in recent weeks.
On the forward line, Mohamed Salah grabbed his 200th Liverpool goal at Selhurst Park – whilst Darwin Núñez has failed to score in his last six league starts. Luis Díaz has enjoyed a run of three league starts in a row, reclaiming his first team spot following a period on the sidelines with a family crisis.
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Liverpool’s Recent Form and Tactics
Jürgen Klopp’s side continued a string of vital results with underlying red flags, winning 2-1 away at Crystal Palace. The performance – just like their previous two wins at Fulham and Sheffield United, was uninspiring.
The Merseyside outfit had a healthy 76% of the ball and failed to pose any threat for large portions of the match. Their XG sat at just 1.25, and the team didn’t have a shot on target until the 76th minute.
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Liverpool didn’t create enough with the ball, but they conceded too many chances without it. Palace had three big chances, including an opportunity for Jefferson Lerma within 30 minutes; Alisson’s heroics certainly saved the day, preventing 1.64 xGOT.
One big positive was Harvey Elliott’s cameo. He was willing to drive with the ball and take risks – what the side had been missing until his introduction.
This resulted in Jordan Ayew’s second yellow card and the last-minute winning goal. Klopp will surely take note of this, as Elliott’s display highlighted what went wrong in the first half: a lack of creativity and urgency.
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Another key tactical change was moving Alexander-Arnold into the central-midfield role, as Joe Gomez came on as a right-back. He created an impressive six chances overall, whilst Gomez made an important impact with relentless overlapping runs.
This was not a game of attacking fluidity or prowess like the previous two. Klopp needs to change something before his luck runs out.
Liverpool Injuries to Consider
Unfortunately, Mac Allister picked up a knock at the weekend, and Klopp has ruled him out of this weekend’s fixture. The Argentine has played a big part in Liverpool’s season, but with Endo looking settled in, he shouldn’t be missed too heavily in that holding midfield role.
Another big miss is Matip, who underwent successful surgery earlier this week. There is no timescale for his return, but Klopp expects it to be “not a short one”. The team are reportedly eyeing Maxence Lacroix as a replacement.
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Diogo Jota is not yet back in team training following a muscle injury. Klopp hinted that he may be back to help soften the blow of losing Salah during the African Cup of Nations.
Thiago Alcântara, Stefan Bajčetić, and Andy Robertson all remain out.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup
GK: Alisson Becker
LB: Kostas Tsimikas
CB: Ibrahima Konaté
CB: Virgil van Dijk
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold
CM: Ryan Gravenberch
CM: Wataru Endo
CM: Dominik Szoboszlai
LW: Luis Díaz
ST: Darwin Núñez
RW: Mohamed Salah
