"United have no chance of keeping them out" - Chris Sutton makes prediction for Liverpool vs Manchester United
BBC pundit Chris Sutton has predicted the result of the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United on Sunday, December 5. Sutton has predicted a landslide victory for Arne Slot’s side.
Liverpool and United enter the contest scheduled at Anfield following contrasting results. The Merseyside club have won their last three Premier League games, while Manchester United lost their last three.
Moreover, Slot's side are at the summit of the league table while United are languishing in the bottom half, in 14th.
In his column on BBC, Sutton acknowledged the rivalry between both clubs, noting that the current form of both sides contrasts each other and identified Liverpool as the better side.
He added that United has little chance of preventing Slot’s men from doing damage in front of goal and expects them to get demolished.
''The historic rivalry between these two clubs is intense but, on the pitch, the contest is not even close at the moment. Manchester United boss Amorim is talking about being in a relegation battle and you can see why. His side were torn apart in the first 30 minutes by Newcastle at Old Trafford on Monday, and why would anything be different at Anfield?''
He added:
''Whoever Liverpool pick, they have got goals in their team and United have no chance of keeping them out. The scoreline won't hit double figures but anything else is possible, and that is me being nice to United. Liverpool should demolish them, and they will demolish them - it is just a question of how many goals they get.''
Sutton concluded, predicting a 5-0 Liverpool win:
''United will play for pride, play for the badge and for the jersey and all of that, but it won't make any difference. Liverpool are in a different stratosphere at the moment and I feel sorry for Amorim because this is going to be another painful afternoon for him.''
''They’ll get pinned back at Anfield'' – Joe Cole makes prediction for Liverpool vs Manchester United
Apart from Chris Sutton, former Blues player Joe Cole also gave his prediction for the upcoming Northwest derby. Cole believes that the Red Devils will rise up to the challenge but predicted Slot’s side to secure a narrow victory.
Cole told Paddy Power (via Metro);
''It’s a derby and it’s a one-off game. But having said that, you can’t look past this Liverpool side. Manchester United will turn up, make a game of it, but Liverpool will win 2-1. Manchester United might threaten on the counter-attack and get a goal, but they’ll get pinned back at Anfield up against the Kop.’
He added:
''I think that Manchester United will be in the bottom half for the majority of the season, but there are too many teams that are too far off it for United to get really sucked into a relegation battle. When Ruben Amorim came in and was proclaimed to be the saviour, it was the equivalent of buying a house and not getting the surveying done properly, then walking into the house to find structural damage, and things falling apart.''
He added:
''Amorim has walked into it, and he doesn’t realize how much surgery needs to be done on the club in every aspect. Manchester United fans have to be mature and accept what’s going on and build slowly.
"The new boys (INEOS) can’t even blame the Glazers and the old regime now, because their transfer window at the start of the summer was dreadful – and they’ve already hired and fired Dan Ashworth, someone who was brought in to do some long-term planning, fired after six months. Everything about the club is off at the moment. They won’t get sucked into a relegation battle, but they’re a bottom-half team.''
The last meeting between Liverpool and Manchester United ended in favour of the Merseyside side as they pulverised their rivals 3-0 at Old Trafford.
