Anfield plays host to a highly-anticipated Premier League clash between Liverpool and Manchester United on Sunday afternoon, as the two English behemoths seek a priceless three points to further their season ambitions while threatening to derail their rivals' goals.
A 2-0 midweek win over Wolverhampton Wanderers allowed Jurgen Klopp's men to break into the top six of the Premier League table, but they still have a six-point gap to make up to fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have played a game more.
Meanwhile, the third-placed Red Devils have won the EFL Cup, made the FA Cup quarter-finals and progressed to the last 16 of the Europa League since their most recent Premier League contest - a 3-0 success over Leicester City on February 19 - and their place on the final podium spot will not be impacted no matter what transpires this weekend.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at Liverpool and Man United's head-to-head record ahead of Sunday's mouthwatering showdown.
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This weekend's Premier League encounter will mark the 239th meeting between Liverpool and Man United in all tournaments since the Reds won the first-ever test match in 1894, when their Manchester counterparts were then known as Newton Heath, earning a spot in the First Division in the process.
The Red Devils can proudly boast to edge the head-to-head record - claiming 90 wins compared to Liverpool's 80 - while there have been a further 68 stalemates played out between the two sides.
During their first game as Manchester United in 1903, the Red Devils edged Liverpool 2-1 in an FA Cup contest - five years on from the Reds beating Newton Heath in the same tournament by the same scoreline.
Not until 1977 would the two Northwest rivals compete in a domestic final, when Man United ended Liverpool's hopes of a national and continental treble by winning 2-1 in the FA Cup final, but Liverpool gleaned a slice of revenge six years later by winning the 1983 EFL Cup final.
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In more recent times, heavy Old Trafford defeats have reared their ugly heads for Man United against Liverpool, who memorably thumped the Red Devils 4-1 at the Theatre of Dreams in 2009 - thanks in no small part to Andrea Dossena's infamous lob - before Mohamed Salah struck a hat-trick in a 5-0 win at Old Trafford in October 2021.
That five-goal demolition job marked Man United's worst-ever home loss in the Premier League and was sandwiched in between 4-2 and 4-0 defeats to the Reds, who won by the latter scoreline at Anfield back in April thanks to another brace from Salah.
The Egypt international's 10 goals against Man United makes him the highest goalscorer in this illustrious fixture, but his most recent effort against the Red Devils was a mere consolation in a 2-1 loss to Erik ten Hag's team at Old Trafford back in August.
A first Premier League double over Liverpool since the 2015-16 season could now come the way of Man United, who have not won a Premier League game at Anfield since Wayne Rooney struck the only goal in a 1-0 triumph back in January 2016.
However, Man United only have one goal to show from their last six visits to Anfield and have failed to score in each of their last three, so history does not bode well for the Red Devils against a newly-fortified Liverpool backline boasting four clean sheets from their last four Premier League games.
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Ben Knapton
