Manchester United and Liverpool have shared a tough rivalry over the years and it will continue this season as Anfield hosts the pair in November
The Manchester United team lines up ahead of the pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and RC Lens at Old Trafford on August 05, 2023 in Manchester, England.
Manchester United have had plenty of incomings and outgoings in recent years – but some faces remain the same(Image: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
View 4 Images
Manchester United have spent more than £1billion in the last four years but a large part of their squad still remains from one of their darkest days in recent history – that7-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool. It was in March 2023 that the Reds crushed their fiercest rivals on a remarkable afternoon at Anfield.
Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah all scored braces, with Roberto Firmino adding a late goal to leave United reeling. It was the club's heaviest defeat in the Premier League and their joint-worst of all time in all competitions. Remarkably, it came just days after Erik ten Hag secured silverware for United with a 2-0 win over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final.
Since then, United have spent through the nose, gone through three managers - one permanent and two interim – and, generally speaking, lurched from one crisis to the next. For now they have settled on Michael Carrick, who enjoyed a successful interim spell after Ruben Amorim was sacked in January. Although after a stuttering start to the season, he too is now under pressure from the fans, at least.
Despite all of that flux, United's team now looks strikingly similar to the one that limped away from Anfield three years ago. A total of five players who played in that fixture started for United against Fulham last week, showcasing an eerie resemblance from three years ago.
Marcus Rashford, Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes and Lisandro Martinez all played a part in the 1-1 draw against the Cottagers, and they were all on the pitch during the Liverpool humiliation.
Looking at other United stars who played in that 2023 game, Casemiro only left the club in the summer after agreeing a free exit midway through the 2025/26 campaign. He is now with Inter Miami. Raphael Varane departed for Como in 2024 before retiring as he sustained a knee injury early on.
Marcus Rashford of Manchester United celebrates scoring his team's second goal from the penalty spot with teammates Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Everton FC at Old Trafford on March 09, 2024 in Manchester, England.
Dalot, Rashford and Fernandes are all still in the United starting XI(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
View 4 Images
David de Gea is still competing in Serie A, captaining Fiorentina after spending 12 years at United. Heading into the midfield, Fred returned to his home country just months after the Liverpool rout and now plays for Atletico Mineiro in the Brasileiro Serie A league.
Wout Weghorst, who started in the No. 10 role on that fated day, was at United on loan from Burnley and recently joined Twente in the Eredivisie after spending two seasons with Ajax. Finally, Antony spent a further two years with the club before a successful loan at Real Betis earned him a permanent move to La Liga.
Luke Shaw of Manchester United hugs teammate Lisandro Martinez after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford on February 01, 2026 in Manchester, England.
Both defenders are still in the defensive line-up for United(Image: Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
4View 4 Images
Michael Carrick.
In three years, not much has changed in the United squad(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
4View 4 Images
The revolving door at Old Trafford has kept on turning since that afternoon on Merseyside. Indeed, there have been seven new arrivals this summer, including the likes of Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.
But with five stars still remaining from that chastening 7-0 defeat, it goes to show just how much hasn't change at United – and how it remains very much back to the future for the time being at least