Manchester United take on Liverpool at Old Trafford on May 3, 2026. Manchester United enters this crucial tie sitting 11 points clear of sixth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion with four games remaining, knowing a win will guarantee their return to the Champions League next season.
Liverpool, on the other hand, arrive at Old Trafford sitting three points adrift of their bitter rivals in the top-flight rankings. The Reds are desperate to secure three points, needing a victory and for Bournemouth and Brighton to drop points to confirm their UCL place. This match is set to be a tight encounter, with neither side blowing opponents to smithereens in their recent positive stretches.
Manchester United vs Liverpool Team News
With Champions League qualification in reach, manager Michael Carrick will be relieved by some positive injury updates. Matheus Cunha was pictured in training and is likely to return after missing the recent Brentford victory with a minor hip injury. There is also optimism that Luke Shaw will be fine to feature from the start, despite coming off injured last time out. However, the defensive duo of Matthijs de Ligt (back) and Lisandro Martinez (suspended) are both missing.
In midfield, Bruno Fernandes will be the primary creative force; he is currently just one Premier League assist away from equalling the single-season record of 20 set by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
Liverpool’s attacking options are severely depleted, serving as a massive blow to Arne Slot’s side. Talisman Mohamed Salah has been denied one last hurrah against the Red Devils due to a hamstring injury, meaning he will not have the chance to add to his staggering 16 goals and eight assists against Man United. Joining Salah on the absentee list are Jayden Danns (hamstring), Hugo Ekitike (Achilles), Conor Bradley (knee), Giovanni Leoni (knee), Wataru Endo (ankle) and Giorgi Mamardashvili (knee).
Furthermore, first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker is a major doubt with a muscle injury and is yet to resume training. Milos Kerkez is also suffering from a niggle, but Andrew Robertson should feature from the off.
Manchester United vs Liverpool Head-to-Head
These English giants are facing each other in a pivotal clash for the Premier League campaign.
Matches Played (Last 5 Premier League Meetings): 5
Manchester United wins: 2
Liverpool Wins: 1
Draws: 2
MUN vs LIV Predicted XI
Manchester United (MUN): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko.
Liverpool (LIV): Woodman; Jones, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak.
Man United vs Liverpool Prediction: Who will win today’s Premier League match?
An encounter as tight as the league table should ensue at Old Trafford. Neither Man United nor Liverpool have been blowing opponents during their recent positive stretches, making this a highly tactical battle.
A Liverpool victory is surely out of the question given their severe injury concerns, especially the absence of Mohamed Salah. However, the Reds can still deny their hosts all three points, even if just a single point might be enough for Man United to regain their Champions League status depending on other results across the weekend. The final prediction is a 1-1 draw on the evening. This scoreline means both teams will share the points in the 2025-26 Premier League top-four race.
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Story first published: Sunday, May 3, 2026, 14:03 [IST]
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