Alan Shearer identifies Man Utd advantage in prediction for crunch Liverpool clash

Alan Shearer believes Manchester United have a chance of getting a result against Liverpool on Sunday, claiming the Red Devils "always save their best for the biggest games".

United welcome Liverpool to Old Trafford eager to banish the memory of their agonising 2-1 defeat to Brighton in the dying minutes last week, with Arne Slot's Reds offering their biggest test of the campaign.

This fixture has offered up some incredible spectacles over the years in the Premier League, including tense moments, crunching tackles and dramatic goals.

United have a decent record against their rivals over the last handful of matches, winning once in the FA Cup and drawing the other two - though supporters will still be having nightmares about the 7-0 thumping they received from Liverpool in March 2023.

But Shearer believes fans are likely to see a better version of United turn up on Sunday, insisting that the Erik ten Hag's side will thrive against a team that attacks them rather than sitting back.

The Match of the Day pundit admitted United "went to sleep on two occasions and were punished" against Brighton, but gave a better forecast for their game against Liverpool, telling Betfair: "Looking at the game on Sunday, sometimes Man United produce their best performances against the big hitters.

"They did last season in the FA Cup final when they were really impressive against Man City and that may be the case this weekend against Liverpool. Man United are a better team when teams are attacking them, and with the pace they have up-front, they can really hurt sides who leave space, we saw that against Brighton despite not getting the result."

The pundit said Liverpool needed to be wary of being hit on the counter but felt their game plan would be to frustrate United and keep things tight at the back - with United's defensive vulnerabilities a possible weak point they can target.

The Newcastle legend is predicting a score draw, however, and feels United will offer enough to come away with what would be a crucial result.

"If Liverpool are going to attack, they will have to be aware of that going the other way. The result against Brentford showed how strong and powerful they are too. Liverpool will have another good season, I'm sure of that. They'll believe they can go and frustrate Man United, keep it tight and if they grab a goal, the frustration at Old Trafford will be huge. That'll be part of their game plan.

"Ultimately when you look at Man United last weekend against Brighton and the lapses in concentration defensively, if they don't improve that then Liverpool's front line will have huge success.

"There'll be goals in the game, and I think it could be a score-draw at Old Trafford on Sunday. I've mentioned Man United can save their best for the biggest games, and this is one of those."

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