One of the biggest fixtures in the English football calendar, Liverpool are all set to square off against Manchester United in the Premier League 2022-23 on Sunday, March 5. The match will kick off at Anfield from 10:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).

The two of the most decorated teams in English football will be raring to get one over the other when they square off in this clash. The earlier fixture between these two teams in the league this season at Old Trafford ended in a 2-1 win for Manchester United.

The two sides have met 238 times across all competitions with United boasting a superior head-to-head in matches between the teams with 90 wins. Liverpool have emerged on top in 80 matches while 68 encounters between the teams have ended in draws.

LIV vs MUN Dream11 prediction for Premier League 2022-23

While form doesn’t count for much in this fixture, there’s no doubting the fact that United will head into this match with momentum on their side. The Red Devils currently find themselves in third position in the standings with 49 points after 24 games. 

Liverpool, on the other hand, are in sixth spot in the standings 10 points adrift of United  having claimed 39 points after 24 matches. They will have the backing of the home crowd on Sunday and will know that the visitors haven’t enjoyed the best of times at their ground in recent years. 

United’s last win at Anfield came in 2016 in the league. However, they will be confident of getting something from this contest, which means the smart money on this game could be put on a draw between the teams.

LIV vs MUN Dream11 team tips for Premier League 2022-23

Top tip: Best forward - Marcus Rashford

The in-form player in world football at the moment, English forward Marcus Rashford is enjoying his best-ever campaign so far having scored 25 goals and provided nine assists in all competitions. He scored the winner against Liverpool when they met earlier this season and will be confident of being on the scoresheet once again, making him a wise forward pick for your football fantasy team.

Top tip: Best midfielder - Bruno Fernandes

Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes has gone from strength to strength as the season has progressed. He has been at the heart of everything good for United, notching up seven goals and 11 assists along the way. Fernandes�?ability to unlock defences and pick out key passes makes him a no-brainer for the midfield spot in your football fantasy team.

Top tip: Best defender - Luke Shaw

A defensively sound option, Luke Shaw is enjoying a fine season for the Red Devils. He’s robust at the back and will be hoping to earn a clean sheet against Liverpool having been a part of a cohesive backline for United which has produced quite a few shutouts in recent times. A threat in attack as well, Shaw has one goal and four assists from the back this season.

Top tip: Best goalkeeper - Alisson Becker

In goal, Liverpool’s Alisson Becker makes for a prudent option for your fantasy football team. He’s a great shot-stopper and has already pulled off several spectacular saves in the ongoing campaign. Alisson is likely to be under the cosh against United’s attackers, meaning his saves could help you earn a lot of fantasy points.

 

Photo credits: Alamy

The England national football team will lock horns with Italy in a mouth-watering UEFA 2020 final, which will be played at the Wembley Stadium in London in the early hours of Monday, July 12.

Under the tutelage of head coach Gareth Southgate, The Three Lions will aim to end their 55-year wait for a piece of major international silverware. They last won the 1966 FIFA World Cup and are yet to lift a UEFA European Championship title.

On the other hand, Roberto Mancini’s Italy national football team has been on a 33-match unbeaten streak and the Azzurri will look to claim their second UEFA European Championship after clinching their maiden title at home in 1968.

Ahead of the final showdown, we picked our combined XI (3-4-3) from both the world-class squads:

Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)

Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and England custodian Jordan Pickford have had stellar Euro 2020 campaigns for their respective sides. While England shot-stopper Pickford has been confirmed as the Euro 2020 Golden Glove winner for keeping five clean sheets and conceding just one goal in six matches so far, Italy No. 1 Donnarumma saved Spain’s Alvaro Morata’s penalty in the shootout to help the Italians secure a place in the final. 

 

The 22-year-old Italian keeper has conceded three goals in six matches and has kept three clean sheets in the ongoing tournament. While it was difficult to choose between the two, we have gone with Donnarumma as our preferred choice for his commanding presence between the sticks.

Centre-backs: Leonardo Bonucci (Italy), Giorgio Chiellini (Italy) and Harry Maguire (England) 

Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson famously stated, “attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.�?The duo of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini have been the stalwarts of the Italian defence for more than a decade now. The two veteran centre-backs have once again been rock solid at the ongoing European Championship, registering three clean sheets for the Azzurri.

 

Slotting in a three-man defence will be England centre-back, Harry Maguire. After missing the opening few games due to fitness concerns at Euro 2020, the 28-year-old Manchester United captain has been instrumental at the heart of England’s defence since returning to the playing XI in the group stage encounter against Czech Republic.

Right wingback: Kyle Walker (England)

Kyle Walker pips his Italian counterpart Giovanni Di Lorenzo for the right-back position for our combined XI. The 31-year-old Manchester City defender has been one of the standout players for The Three Lions at the ongoing European Championship. With his searing pace, Walker has been providing width in attack and stability to the England backline with his impressive recovery speed. In this system, Walker will have more freedom to attack and link up with the forward line.

 

Left wingback: Luke Shaw (England)

Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola would have been an automatic choice for the left-back position if not for the horrific injury that he suffered during their 2-1 win over Belgium in the UEFA Euro 2020 quarter-final. The Roma full-back was one of the most influential players for the Italian side in the tournament. In Spinazzola’s absence, England full-back Luke Shaw has been picked in the left-back position. The Manchester United defender has been outstanding with his marauding runs forward and has provided three assists in the tournament. 

Midfielders: Marco Verratti (Italy), Jorginho (Italy)

For the midfield role, we have picked the Italian duo of Marco Verratti and Jorginho ahead of the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice and Manuel Locatelli. While PSG’s Verratti has once again shown why he is touted as one of the best deep-lying midfielders in the world, Chelsea’s Jorginho has become the heartbeat of the Italian national side. Both Verratti and Jorginho have been vital cogs in the Azzurri midfield, controlling the tempo of matches. 

Forwards: Raheem Sterling (England), Harry Kane (England) and Lorenzo Insigne (Italy) 

Raheem Sterling has arguably been England's player of the tournament at Euro 2020. The Manchester City winger has scored three goals and assisted once in the ongoing edition of the European Championship. In our 3-4-3 formation, the 26-year-old will play at the right-wing position ahead of Italy’s Federico Chiesa and Bukayo Saka of England. 

 

On the other hand, picking Harry Kane as the striker in our combined XI is a no-brainer. The Tottenham Hotspur forward has already bagged four goals in the tournament and is just one behind Euro 2020 top-scorers Cristiano Ronaldo and Patrik Schick, who have scored five apiece. For the left-wing position, we have picked Italy’s Lorenzo Insigne ahead of England’s Jack Grealish and Jadon Sancho. The Napoli winger has been impressive for Italy, scoring a wonder goal against Belgium in the quarter-final. 

Manager: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

For our combined XI, we have picked Italy’s Roberto Mancini as our head coach over his England counterpart Gareth Southgate. The former Manchester City manager has transformed the Italian national side after the Azzurri had failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup for the first time in 60 years. Since then in three years, Italy have produced some delightful football and are currently on a 33-match unbeaten streak, which is a national record.

Featured photo: ALBERTO LINGRIA / Andy Rain /Matt Dunham/Laurence GRIFFITHS, Frank AUGSTEIN //POOL / AFP

A Manchester Derby is a classic fixture that carries a story-telling purpose and is an exhibition of talent that skyrockets Premier League football’s base value.

Currently on a 21-game unbeaten run across all competitions, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City has established a 14-point lead over bitter rivals Manchester United. The Cityzens are also on a streak of 15 straight Premier League wins, a stark contrast to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men, who have drawn six of their last 10 Premier League matches.

While City have a full-fledged team at their disposal, the Red Devils will be without primary custodian David De Gea, midfielder Paul Pogba and striker Edinson Cavani.

To accommodate the best players from the Manchester teams into our combined XI, we have placed players in a 4-1-2-3 formation.

GK: Ederson

Suppose one has to compare Manchester City’s Ederson and Manchester United’s David De Gea, the obvious answer would be that the Brazilian custodian stands out with a better record between the sticks.

Ederson leads the race for the Golden Glove with 15 clean sheets, and with Dean Henderson confirmed to take De Gea’s place for the Manchester Derby, one ought to keep a close eye on how Ederson continues his spectacular run as the league’s top goalkeeper.

LB: Luke Shaw

Luke Shaw has been one of the most improved players for Manchester United this season, and his performances over the last few game weeks - four assists in his previous six games - earned him the Player of the month award for February.

CB: John Stones

Having been in the shadows in the last two seasons, English defender John Stones has become an irreplaceable player in Pep Guardiola’s matchday playing XI. The 26-year-old has been a part of 10 clean sheets since game week 10 and has contributed three goals in the process.

CB: Ruben Dias

Like Stones, Portuguese center-half Ruben Dias has been a prominent face in City’s matchday squads having played all but one game. With a 63% tackle success rate, Dias has registered 106 recoveries while winning 90 duels and 51 aerial battles. If anything, Guardiola will entrust him to restrict the movements of young winger Mason Greenwood.

RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been a key component of Manchester United’s gameplay from the right flank, forming a close partnership with Bruno Fernandes and Mason Greenwood. Although his ball distribution is a bit of a concern, the 23-year-old’s quick-paced runs and ability to retract in the defense from offensive gameplay is sure to give City’s left-back major issues.

CDM: Rodri

Without a doubt, Spain’s Rodri is the best player suited for the central defensive midfielder role, given his returns are better than that of the United trio of Scott McTominay, Fred, and Nemanja Matic. Rodri has averaged 81.24 passes per game while registering a tackle success rate of 60%, which is significantly greater than McTominay’s record of 36.57 passes per game and a tackle success rate of 44%.

CM: Kevin de Bruyne

Despite being injured for a large portion of the 2020-21 Premier League season, Kevin de Bruyne has been a significant contributor to Manchester City’s spectacular form. The Belgian, who has made 21 appearances in the English top-flight league this term, has 11 assists so far and aims to get back on the scoresheet once again, having played a role in just one goal since returning from a hamstring injury. 

CM: Bruno Fernandes

If one has to pick out Manchester United’s Player of the Season, it has to be Bruno Fernandes. Since his transfer last January, the Portuguese has been a revelation for the Red Devils with 23 goals and 17 assists to his name, and despite enduring a topsy-turvy season, the 26-year-old has stacked 15 goals and 10 assists.

Bruno has one assist in three meetings with Manchester City, and will look to hit his first goal against the runaway leaders.

RW: Riyad Mahrez

Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez has hit form in his last four games, with two goals and two assists, and manager Pep Guardiola expects the 30-year-old to give United’s Luke Shaw a torrid time in the upcoming Manchester Derby.

Blessed with incredible pace and creativity, Riyad Mahrez is tasked to give the hosts an early lead while setting up impressive gameplay in and around the opposition box.

ST: Sergio Aguero

Long-serving striker Sergio Aguero will enter his 14th Manchester Derby in the Premier League, to break Wayne Rooney’s record of 11 derby goals. The Argentine attacker has featured just six times this term, with much of his time out injured and spending the entirety of January in quarantine for testing positive.

With rumors circling that Aguero’s days are numbered at the Etihad Stadium, the 32-year-old will be keen to silence them with a performance that consolidates his status as a Cityzen legend. 

LW: Raheem Sterling

In terms of scoring ability, Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford are almost on par, but it is the latter who has been slightly better. But, what sets Sterling apart is his consistency in goal contributions.

Raheem Sterling’s versatility in the attacking third is something that will cause trouble for United’s Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, and Pep Guardiola will bank on this tactic to dent the neighbour’s hopes to trim down City’s 14-point lead.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Shaun Botterill

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United put nine goals past a helpless Southampton on Tuesday as the Red Devils equalled their English Premier League record victory from 1995 against Ipswich Town.

The annihilation started in as early as the second minute when Southampton's 19-year-old Alex Jankewitz was sent off for a rugged challenge on Scott McTominay. He became only the fourth player in Premier League's history to be sent off within two minutes of kick-off.

United, on their part, took full advantage, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani and Jan Bednarek’s own goal making it 4-0 in the first half itself. 

4 - Man Utd have scored four goals in the first half of a Premier League game for the second time this season, also doing so against Leeds. It's the first time they've scored 4+ goals in the first half of two games in a season since 1997/98 under Sir Alex Ferguson. Emphatic. pic.twitter.com/TRj0qXXCtO

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 2, 2021

2 - Luke Shaw has as many Premier League assists in the first half against Southampton as he managed in his previous 45 Premier League appearances (2). Delivery. pic.twitter.com/qnkOII9PFK

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 2, 2021

Solskjaer made two changes by the stroke of half-time, replacing an in-form Luke Shaw, who provided two assists, and Edinson Cavani by Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial. United continued their rampage as Martial scored twice before Bednarek was dismissed for a late challenge on the Frenchman. Bruno Fernandes, meanwhile, finally found himself amongst goals for the first time in five league games. The Portuguese not only scored a goal but also got two assists.

15 - Only Eric Cantona and Dimitri Payet (both 33 games) have assisted 15 Premier League goals in fewer appearances than Bruno Fernandes, with tonight his 36th appearance in the competition. Provider. pic.twitter.com/YOelZkXSp5

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 2, 2021

United were at their absolute best at Old Trafford, pouncing on every given opportunity. As far as Solskjaer is concerned, he has often been compared to his predecessors, and this win over the Saints proves why he has been United's best manager since Sir Alex Ferguson. The Red Devils had scored 5+ goals on just two occasions under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. They have done this a whopping eight times under Solskjaer.

A nine-goal routing means United have already scored 46 goals in the league. Only Inter [49], PSG [50] & Bayern Munich [57] have scored more goals than them across Europe's top-five leagues. Manchester United had as many as seven different goalscorers on the night and this is only the second time that a team had these many scorers since Chelsea vs Aston Villa in December 2012.

Manchester United's next opponent in EPL fixtures is Carlo Ancelotti's Everton; a team that United have already beaten twice this season.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Phil Noble

Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw put in a brilliant defensive display against Liverpool on Sunday as he managed to keep Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane quiet, and dealt with the pressure extremely well for the entirety of the game at Anfield.

Shaw has been in excellent form this season, particularly since United brought Alex Telles from FC Porto. On Sunday, the England international not only looked stern in defence but also played his bit part in the attack, creating two goal-scoring chances during the game. Statistically, the left-back won 100% of his tackles, had 100% long pass accuracy, completed 81% of his total passes, made eight ball recoveries and made four clearances.

Luke Shaw's contribution for @ManUtd today
68 touches
Completed 33/41 passes
Won 8/12 duels
8x possession gained
2 chances created
Man Utd are the 1st away team to keep a PL clean sheet at Liverpool since Oct 2018 pic.twitter.com/UjroJOOPVu

�?Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) January 17, 2021

Reacting on his performance, former Manchester United captain Roy Keane heaped praises by saying, “The back four always worry me but they were brilliant,�?Keane told Sky Sports. “Shaw was brilliant defensively and going forward.�?/p>

Even Graeme Souness hailed Shaw for how well be dealt with Liverpool's attackers. 

“The front three today, for me, no sparkle, no real special moments for them," said Souness.

“Firmino didn't take part in the game a lot, Salah didn't skip past Shaw once, who was arguably the best I've seen anyone handle Salah.�?/p>

A draw for Manchester United means they still hold a three-point lead over Liverpool on the top of the table, but Manchester City's 4-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday now changes the complexion. They Cityzen now acquire the second spot in the tally with 35 points, two points behind United, and have a game in hand.

While the experts were bang-on with their analysis of the left-back, fans on Twitter heaped praise as well.

Luke Shaw is the only player today who can leave with his head held high. Unreal performance from him.

�?RiZzy (@RiZzyUTD) January 17, 2021

Luke Shaw is very underrated!

�?The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) January 17, 2021

Manchester United have secured a deal for Alex Telles from Porto.

Luke Shaw: pic.twitter.com/27fliwTnuZ

�?Brandon Edwards (@King_Edwards98) January 17, 2021

Luke Shaw vs Mo Salah and Sadio Mane tonight. pic.twitter.com/CQiFc2x4Wp

�? (Fan Account) (@EliteLabile) January 17, 2021

Luke Shaw fills me with confidence. I never thought I’d ever say this few months ago

�?RiZzy (@RiZzyUTD) January 17, 2021

Luke Shaw #mufc outstanding. Quick, alert, great concentration. Dealt well with Mo Salah, and looked to attack, going on a couple of driving runs towards the #lfc area. Surely back in #eng contention with form such as this. #LIVMUN

�?Henry Winter (@henrywinter) January 17, 2021

Thankful for Luke Shaw! Thankful for the Defence! @ManUtd ❤️

�?AG BABY (@adekunleGOLD) January 17, 2021

The draw is probably a better result for us than them and we're still top of the league. Thought Luke Shaw was excellent again �?

�?Gaynor Hammond (@HammondGaynor) January 17, 2021

If anyone mentions their deadass LB except Robertson in comparison to Luke Shaw, I'm gonna lose it.

�?�?(@FergieFormula) January 18, 2021

Very easy to forget the career threatening injuries Luke Shaw has had, nearly lost his leg two years ago..Today he was absolutely outstanding, best player on the pitch, great to see! Top of the league January, who would have thought

�?Steven Poacher (@Stevie_Poacher) January 17, 2021

Will say that Luke Shaw is back to pre injury player...looking an absolute class left sided defending player...

�?Dave Smith (@davidsmith1932) January 17, 2021

Luke Shaw was exceptional , very good performance. He’s turned his Manchester United career around so much ❤️

�?Isiah Memphis Madrigal (@Realisiah1) January 17, 2021

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Paul Ellis

Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw hasn’t really been enjoying a good run of form of late. Injuries have played a big part in the context, but that has resulted in a certain Brendon Williams taking his spot in the first team and judging by the youngster’s recent outings, there seems to be no light at the end of tunnel.

But things just don’t end there!

Ahead of United’s all-important game against Liverpool during the weekend, a Liverpool fan took to Twitter to express how brutally he wants his team to beat the Red Devils. He further elaborated that he not only wants Sadio Mane to send Aaron Wan-Bissaka back to Crystal Palace, but also wants Mohamed Salah to send Shaw “back to Burger King�?

But as it turns out, the American hamburger fast food restaurant don’t want his services either.

It's bold of you to assume we would hire Luke Shaw http://t.co/t0fwn6IhRJ

�?Burger King (@BurgerKingUK) January 22, 2020

What’s more intriguing is the fact that one Twitter user claimed to have found the Xbox account of the left-back and after some digging, he came up with some fascinating figures. In a screenshot posted by the user, Shaw’s Xbox was logged in for a whopping 74,800 minutes on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered from November 2016 to September 2019.

Minutes on CoD:MWR between November 2016 -September 2019 -

74,800

Minutes on Fortnite -

18,780

Minutes on the pitch in his Manchester United career -

9,389

Highest paid left back on the planet.

Hope this helps pic.twitter.com/JqRNJwfJfj

�?Mike (@MikeLUHGv3) January 21, 2020

Shaw has only made 15 appearances in all competitions this season and his tenure has been marred with injuries more often than not. Remember there was a time when he was dubbed as one of the most promising full-backs in the league? Gone are the days now!

Poking some fun, here’s a clip of Shaw having some good time at Burger King during his days with Southampton.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Oli Scarff