Undefeated Liverpool Hosts Manchester United Sunday in Premier League Test

First place Liverpool will look to continue its undefeated start to the English Premier League season as the Reds host Manchester United at Anfield this Sunday.

Liverpool enters the 17th week of the EPL season with 42 points, one ahead of Manchester City at the top of the table.

Klopp Defends Mourinho’s Approach

Manchester United is almost entirely out of the title race this season, sitting in sixth place with 26 points. But the Red Devils still pose a threat to just about anyone they play, and they haven’t lost a match at Anfield since 2013.

The last two matches between the two clubs in Liverpool ended in scoreless draws. That has led some commentators to accuse United manager Jose Mourinho of lacking ambition in his tactics. But Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp disagrees with that assessment.

“I don’t think Jose Mourinho ever has a lack of ambition,” Klopp told reporters on Friday. “He just does what he thinks is right, and he’s one of the most successful managers in the world.”

Both Liverpool and United are coming into the match knowing that they’ve qualified for the Champions League knockout stages, though they got there in very different ways. While United finished up their group stage campaign with a 2-1 loss at Valencia, Liverpool clinched advancement with a 1-0 win over Napoli on Tuesday.

Klopp says that he wants his team to take that momentum into this weekend’s match.

“I don’t know what the atmosphere was like at the Man United press conference, but here it is rather positive,” Klopp said. “We have a few injuries but apart from that it is all positive. From the other side it looks like it is not the best mood – lost the last Champions League game.”

Mourinho: Trophies Still Matter

The atmosphere was indeed different at Mourinho’s press conference, where he reminded reporters that while Klopp may be loved for his flowing, attacking style at Liverpool, attractive play isn’t the only thing that matters in soccer.

“I think trophies matter,” Mourinho told reporters. “It matters, especially when you have the potential to fight for trophies and especially when you clearly say the objective is to win the trophy.”

While Mourinho may not have had his biggest successes at Old Trafford, he has brought Europa League and Carabao Cup titles to Manchester United. Meanwhile, while Klopp has brought Liverpool as far as reaching the Champions League final, he hasn’t yet won any competitions as the club’s manager.

Mourinho did also find a unique way to praise Klopp’s work at Liverpool, saying that the club’s success hasn’t entirely about buying players like Alisson and Virgil van Dijk in the offseason.

“It’s not just about the money they spend in the summer, it’s about many things,” Mourinho said. “It’s like a house: it’s not just about buying the furniture, you have to do work, you spend money on the best possible furniture and then you’re ready to live in an amazing house.”

With the squad in great form and playing at home, Liverpool is a deserving favorite heading into Sunday’s match. Ladbrokes has Liverpool at 8/15 odds to win the match, while Manchester United is going off at 5/1 to pull off the upset, with a 16/5 payout on a draw.