Liverpool are having a woeful past couple of weeks as the Merseyside Reds have managed to pick up only one win out of the past 4 Premier League matches they have played. Things do not look so bright on the European front either as Jurgen Klopp’s men have drawn both their group stage matches in the Champions League. And it is not that they have been leaking bundles of goals(apart from that 5-0 demolition at the hands of Man City). The problem is on the other end of the pitch where Liverpool’s front men have been consistently failing to score goals.
Liverpool drew their last Premier League game against Newcastle United and it was a case of two points lost rather than a point gained. Liverpool looked wiery in attack as they missed a flurry of chances – and the culprit was definitely Daniel Sturridge who in no shape or form looked like a Liverpool striker.
When the new season began not many pundits would have predicted such a scenario for Liverpool. Everyone knew that the Reds had an unbalanced side but the scale was always tilted in favour of the attackers. But now after 7 games into the new Premier League season, Liverpool’s attacking third looks lost, to say the least. And with such a poor run of form Jurgen Klopp’s men with play host to Manchester United in the very first league game after the International break.
Liverpool are a team that boasts an attacking front which is capable of sending shivers down the opposition defence. But so far this attacking half has failed to close out games against the likes of Leicester, Newcastle United and Burnley. And now Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United are boarding the next train to Anfield.
Manchester United are looking ruthless this season as the Red Devils are thumping goals at free will. All of their front three men are amongst the goals and add to that the fact that even their midfielders are chipping in goals every now and then.
But perhaps the biggest headache for Jurgen Klopp will be to stop Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the middle of the pitch. The Ex-BVB coach knows very well what the Armenian is capable of and he will have to deploy a defensive midfielder- preferably Emre Can in order to ensure that Henrikh does not get a free pass in midfield.
And add to that bit of work, Liverpool’s midfield will also have to chip in with goals so that they can ease the burden on the likes of Mane and Salah.
So it totality Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp are under a lot of pressure and this is perhaps the worst time for them to face one of their fiercest rivals. But reality be told it Liverpool can hold Manchester United to a draw then it would seem nothing short of a victory for the German manager.
