As Liverpool prepares to enter the cauldron of Old Trafford for one of the most intense fixtures of the Premier League season against Manchester United, they will need several players to shine if they hope to get the right result.
The Reds are coming off a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace while United were winners over Brentford in their last outing, so both sides will have positive momentum heading into this huge clash.
Arne Slot still has some fitness issues to deal with, most notably a hamstring issue for Mohamed Salah, which will sadly have him out of this one.
With that in mind, there are still multiple contenders for Liverpool that should step up in this huge showdown and leave their mark on the match. Let's get into who that could be.
Alexis Mac Allister
The Argentine has been slowly finding his footing in the midfield in recent weeks. For much of this season he has floated through too many matches without having much of an impact.
However, he now appears to have that fire we know and love once again as evidenced by his most recent showing in the victory over Palace. He was strong on the ball throughout and it was his sensational holdup play and layoff that allowed Florian Wirtz to lash home his stunning goal.
Going against a seemingly revitalized Casemiro and the young star Kobbie Mainoo presents a formidable challenge in the midfield that Macca will have to help contest.
If he can maintain his strong form of late, that would be greatly helpful in countering the aforementioned two United mids. while also unlocking another dimension for Liverpool.
It's very common that in intense fixtures like this, whoever wins the midfield battle usually wins the overall contest. As a result, Mac Allister needs to be at his best once again if the Reds want to take all three points.
Alexander Isak
It was wonderful to see the Sweden star get himself a goal against Palace. That should do wonders for his confidence as he continues to work himself back to full strength and top form.
While he might not be fully back to 100% yet, Isak at 85-90% is still better than the majority of forwards in the Premier League. His clinical finishing will be hugely important in this one.
As noted, the absence of Salah means there is a big hole in the attack that must be filled, and the most expensive signing in British football history sounds like a perfect candidate to step into that void.
His ability to fashion chances for himself against the Harry Maguire led defense will be one of the key battles to follow throughout the action on Sunday.
Liverpool have no shortage of creative players that can get the ball to Isak in dangerous positions at almost anytime. His first touch must be on point, and if he can keep his composure in a heated environment, I think a goal is more than possible from our No. 9.
Dominik Szoboszlai
I was very tempted to say Wirtz in this spot, but that felt like too obvious of a choice. The German playmaker needs to be at his best in most cases to make the Liverpool machine go.
I went with Szoboszlai for this one because, while he is a contender for our Player of the Season, his form has been a bit more erratic in recent weeks. He still shows flashes of the brilliance, but not quite at the same consistency.
Again, with Salah missing out, that should move the Hungarian further up the pitch which will see him in numerous dangerous positions in the final third, and with his ability to create on the ball, that could be a huge factor in this game.
While Wirtz is the main creative hub right now, Szobo is right there behind him and if he can put a hampered Luke Shaw or Diogo Dalot under duress, that could lead to some important moments.
His positional versatility means he will be popping up on the right, through the middle, tracking back to help the defense and more. As a result, it will be difficult for United to fully take him out of the match, which means he should have chances to make his mark.
A fully engaged Szoboszlai takes this Liverpool side to a whole new level, and Slot will be hoping we see just that come Sunday at Old Trafford.
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