Mauricio Pochettino looks set to take over from Michael Carrick at Manchester United with his first game coming against Liverpool at Anfield
Mauricio Pochettino gives the team instructions as Jurgen Klopp looks on during the Carabao Cup Final match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium.
Mauricio Pochettino looks set to be the new Manchester United manager, and will come up against Liverpool in his first game in charge.(Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
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Liverpool are expected to come up against a familiar face in Mauricio Pochettino when they face Manchester United in the Premier League. The Reds host their rivals at Anfield in the first game back after the international break.
Man United’s poor start to the season sees them in the relegation zone, having won just one of their opening 10 league games. That has led to a change in the dugout looking likely to be made.
Michael Carrick was appointed as permanent manager in the summer, after success as interim in the second half of last season. But latest reports suggest that he will be sacked this week, with Pochettino lined up as his replacement.
READ MORE: What Lewis Koumas did after Andoni Iraola change as Liverpool dressing room talk revealed
The Argentine is currently manager of the USA national team but has a release clause in his contract. He is a familiar face around the Premier League, having taken charge of Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea.
Pochettino has come up against Liverpool 19 times, but his record isn’t great. Of the 19 games, the Reds have come out on top 11 times, with five draws and three wins to Pochettino’s team.
The final time he came up against Liverpool was in the 2024 Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium. Virgil van Dijk’s goal in extra time gave Jurgen Klopp’s side a 1-0 win.
The last time Pochettino came out on top against the Reds was in 2017, when Tottenham won 4-1 at White Hart Lane. Since then he has suffered six defeats and drawn two.
Mauricio Pochettino prior to the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea FC at Selhurst Park.
Mauricio Pochettino is no stranger to the Premier League. (Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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The other two wins for the manager came in his first two meetings with Liverpool, when he was manager of Southampton, in March 2013 (a 3-1 win) and in September of the same year (1-0).
In terms of managing against Andoni Iraola, the sample size is much smaller. The two managers have only come up against each other twice in their careers, in Premier League clashes between Chelsea and Bournemouth.
The first meeting in 2023 ended in a 0-0 draw. But Pochettino did come out on top in the reverse fixture, with Chelsea winning the game 2-1.
Liverpool will hope that Pochettino’s poor record against them will negate any effect that comes from his first game in charge of a new club. It will be his 20th match against the club, and Liverpool will want to increase their winning tally to 12.
Liverpool go into the international break in fourth place in the Premier League table, two points clear of Chelsea in fifth. Their last outing saw them beat Crystal Palace 3-1 at Selhurst Park.