Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has said Liverpool “have to win” at Old Trafford this weekend if they want to remain serious title contenders.
Responding to fellow pundit Ian Wright’s suggestion that the Reds would be happy with a draw against Manchester United, Neville said:
“I think they have to win. I don’t think in this title run-in, when you’ve got these three teams going for it, you can think you can afford to have just a draw.”
Jurgen Klopp’s side have to keep pace with their title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City so Neville is correct to point out that any dropped points at this stage of the season could prove fatal in terms of finishing top of the table.
The Reds’ fixture list does look quite tough on paper. In addition to the match at Old Trafford, they still have to face Everton, West Ham and Aston Villa away from home.
The four other fixtures include Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Wolves at Anfield, and a trip to Craven Cottage to play Fulham. You would have to say that securing 24 points from those matches is pretty unlikely.
Arsenal probably have a slightly tougher run-in than Klopp’s men but it is more concerning that City’s final eight games look the easiest.
The 4-3 loss at Old Trafford before the international break was one of the low points of the season for Liverpool. Based on the chances they created in the second half, they should have been out of sight before heading into extra time.
The match this weekend gives the team an opportunity to put things right. If they are to secure the three points, they will certainly need to be much better defensively than they were in their last meeting.
