Anfield: The "red devils"' land of terror

On the evening of October 19, Man United may have to work hard at Anfield, where they have not beaten Liverpool since 2016 and have scored only 1 goal in 8 away matches.

MU is at a disadvantage

If the Liverpool - Man United match in round 8 of the Premier League had taken place a few weeks earlier instead of at 10:30 pm today, October 19, the home team at Anfield would have been predicted to completely dominate. Because after round 5, the "red brigade" won all 5 matches, 8 points more than their neighboring rival, the "red devils".

But no one can predict anything, especially in football. In just 8 days, the English port city team lost 3 consecutive matches, including 2 defeats against Crystal Palace and Chelsea in the Premier League, in between was a "disgrace" at Galatasaray's field in the Champions League. As a result, Mr. A. Slot and his team lost the top spot in the domestic league to Arsenal and there were worries about the team's imbalance. But it is worth noting that all 3 defeats took place on away field.

Anfield: Vùng đất dữ của — Salah (left) has scored 13 goals and had 6 assists after 15 matches against Man United. Photo: AP

Man United have just jumped 5 places to 10th place after a 2-0 win over newcomer Sunderland, but Liverpool are still the superior opponents with home advantage. In the last 8 away matches, the "red devils" have only drawn 2 and lost 6, clearly in very poor form.

Waiting for "lucky god" Salah

In addition to the Anfield support, coach A. Slot expects star M. Salah to shine after helping Egypt win a ticket to the 2026 World Cup finals.

Salah has not yet found his peak form in the early stages of the Premier League season, possibly due to the effects of age and the loss of his favorite partner - right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold (who has moved to Real Madrid). Statistics from Opta show that most of the 33-year-old star's professional indicators have decreased, causing him to lose some of his sharpness, such as the two shots that went over the bar in the recent loss to Chelsea.

When Salah is quiet, he is easily criticized for not dropping back to help defend! However, with Man United, the "Egyptian king" has maintained impressive form: 13 goals and 6 assists after 15 encounters, more than any other team in the Premier League.

Can the away team cause a shock?

After the victory over Sunderland, the Portuguese coach needs to overcome a tough mini-race, starting with a big match at Anfield. It should be noted that coach R. Amorim and his team have not won two consecutive matches in the Premier League. After meeting Liverpool, the "red devils" will host Brighton, visit Nottingham Forest and Tottenham. These three opponents do not seem to be very strong at first glance, except for the last team, which is having a good start with its new head coach.

However, in the last 2 seasons, Man United have been empty-handed when facing Brighton and Tottenham. In which, coach R. Amorim experienced these failures last season when taking charge of the Old Trafford team. Specifically, they lost 1-3 at home to Brighton (January 19, 2025); lost 0-1 to home team Nottingham on April 1, 2025, with former striker Elanga scoring the only goal when breaking the net of his old team and lost 0-1 to Tottenham. That was one of 4 losses to the "Roosters" last season, including the defeat in the Europa League final that caused the team to miss out on a return ticket to the Champions League.

The results of the next four matches are considered a measure of Man United's season and the reputation of coach R. Amorim. Therefore, coach R. Amorim and his team will certainly try to gain points at Anfield, using that as motivation for the next stage.

The Tottenham - Aston Villa match at 8pm on October 19 is also worth noting as the home team is close to the top spot, only 2 and 1 points behind Arsenal and Liverpool respectively. Under new coach Thomas Frank, Tottenham's attack has not only played smoothly but also their defense has become more solid. They are one of the 4 teams that have conceded the fewest goals in the league, with 5 goals, only behind Arsenal (3 goals) and equal with Crystal Palace and Newcastle.