Bitter rivals Man United and Liverpool are set to battle for Premier League position for the remainder of the season, and Michael Carrick’s men have a notable edge.
Earlier this season, the pain of Liverpool’s dreadful form was eased somewhat by the train wreck that was Ruben Amorim at Man United.
They crashed out of both cup competitions in embarrassing fashion, and the 15th-place finish last campaign meant no European football.
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Florian Wirtz form for Liverpool
Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images
But since the change in managers, they have looked much improved, and those early-season struggles now put them in a very favourable position in the race for the Premier League top five.
Man United’s light schedule compared to Liverpool’s
The groundskeepers at Old Trafford will be loving life this season, with United only playing once every week or two on home turf.
That’s because the Premier League is all they have to play for.
In the coming weeks, their advantage over Liverpool will only grow as Arne Slot’s side fight on three fronts.
Liverpool Man United
West Ham (H) Crystal Palace (H)
Wolves (A) Newcastle (A)
Wolves FA Cup (A)
Round of 16 first leg (A)
Spurs (H) Aston Villa (H)
Round of 16 second leg (H)
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We have the easier fixtures, but we have twice as many.
And this is just the short-term picture. If Liverpool go deep in the Champions League and FA Cup, this is the challenge that faces Slot for the rest of the season.
Twice as many games with a smaller squad, and plenty of need for rotation.
The two decisive May fixtures for Liverpool
United stretched out their lead on Liverpool and Chelsea to three points on Monday night, so not only do the Reds need to match pace in the league — they have to gain back ground.
Fortunately, the first game of May provides a golden opportunity to do so.
Slot is backing Liverpool for a top-four finish. Where do you think the Reds will end 25/26?
Slot predicted Liverpool will earn Champions League football in his pre-Bournemouth press conference!
Arne Slot prior to Liverpool v Leeds United - Premier League
Credit: Liverpool FC/Getty Images
United host Liverpool in a tie that never fails to get fans amped up, but the season-defining stakes attached mean this could be one of the best editions of this fixture in years.
Then it’s Chelsea the week after at Anfield. Safe to say this Premier League run-in will be box-office.
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