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A year after Liverpool’s rescue from the brink of financial meltdown, the extent of the club’s revival will be assessed on Saturday against its fiercest rivals, Manchester United.
Liverpool battled against relegation last season before the Boston Red Sox owners’ takeover in October and then saw United overhaul their title record with a 19th championship crown.
While United head to Anfield top of the Premier League, Liverpool are just six points behind in fifth place and in buoyant mood after back-to-back wins before the international break.
“We’ve got an opportunity to reduce the gap and it’s up to us to take it,” Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said. “They are in a position that everyone wants to be in, and that’s top position in the league. You cannot argue with that because you want to be there yourself.
“They’ve set a standard for everyone else to follow or surpass and it’s up to us to take up the challenge.”
The challenge last October was just staying in the Premier League as Liverpool struggled under the weight of debt imposed by American duo Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr.
Liverpool beat United 3-1 in their last meeting in March, two months after Dalglish returned to take charge of Liverpool after a 21-year absence. “Games against Liverpool are always immensely emotive,” United manager Alex Ferguson said. “Sometimes they’ve been fantastic games, sometimes they’ve been disappointing, but they’re always interesting games.”
But Dalglish and Liverpool are no longer Ferguson’s fiercest adversaries. They are closer to home at Manchester City, which are only being kept off top spot by United’s superior goal difference.
City host Aston Villa on Saturday when striker Sergio Aguero will not be risked after sustaining a groin injury. Fellow forward Carlos Tevez is also unlikely to play as investigations continue into his apparent refusal to play in the Champions League that led to him being suspended for two weeks until last Wednesday.
Unlike City, Villa are still unbeaten this season but are eight points behind in seventh.
“City have had some quite frightening results since the start of the season,” Villa manager Alex McLeish said. “That can be intimidating for anyone looking on but we have started brightly and steadied the ship.
“We have to be determined to cause an upset,” he added. “Because that is what it would be.”
If that happened, third-place Chelsea could join City on 19 points with a victory over Everton on Saturday. Although the Merseyside outfit has only lost once in its last five visits to Stamford Bridge, it travels to London after consecutive losses.
“When we are up against them we always seem to shine a bit and try to fight our way out of a corner,” Everton midfielder Tim Cahill said.
Also Saturday, newcomers Norwich and Swansea meet at Carrow Road, bottom-place Blackburn are at Queens Park Rangers, Stoke host Fulham and Wigan face Bolton in a Lancashire derby.
On Sunday, Sunderland will be without on-loan striker Nicklas Bendtner for their trip to his club Arsenal, who are languishing just two points above the relegation zone.
Liverpool battled against relegation last season before the Boston Red Sox owners’ takeover in October and then saw United overhaul their title record with a 19th championship crown.
While United head to Anfield top of the Premier League, Liverpool are just six points behind in fifth place and in buoyant mood after back-to-back wins before the international break.
“We’ve got an opportunity to reduce the gap and it’s up to us to take it,” Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said. “They are in a position that everyone wants to be in, and that’s top position in the league. You cannot argue with that because you want to be there yourself.
“They’ve set a standard for everyone else to follow or surpass and it’s up to us to take up the challenge.”
The challenge last October was just staying in the Premier League as Liverpool struggled under the weight of debt imposed by American duo Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr.
Liverpool beat United 3-1 in their last meeting in March, two months after Dalglish returned to take charge of Liverpool after a 21-year absence. “Games against Liverpool are always immensely emotive,” United manager Alex Ferguson said. “Sometimes they’ve been fantastic games, sometimes they’ve been disappointing, but they’re always interesting games.”
But Dalglish and Liverpool are no longer Ferguson’s fiercest adversaries. They are closer to home at Manchester City, which are only being kept off top spot by United’s superior goal difference.
City host Aston Villa on Saturday when striker Sergio Aguero will not be risked after sustaining a groin injury. Fellow forward Carlos Tevez is also unlikely to play as investigations continue into his apparent refusal to play in the Champions League that led to him being suspended for two weeks until last Wednesday.
Unlike City, Villa are still unbeaten this season but are eight points behind in seventh.
“City have had some quite frightening results since the start of the season,” Villa manager Alex McLeish said. “That can be intimidating for anyone looking on but we have started brightly and steadied the ship.
“We have to be determined to cause an upset,” he added. “Because that is what it would be.”
If that happened, third-place Chelsea could join City on 19 points with a victory over Everton on Saturday. Although the Merseyside outfit has only lost once in its last five visits to Stamford Bridge, it travels to London after consecutive losses.
“When we are up against them we always seem to shine a bit and try to fight our way out of a corner,” Everton midfielder Tim Cahill said.
Also Saturday, newcomers Norwich and Swansea meet at Carrow Road, bottom-place Blackburn are at Queens Park Rangers, Stoke host Fulham and Wigan face Bolton in a Lancashire derby.
On Sunday, Sunderland will be without on-loan striker Nicklas Bendtner for their trip to his club Arsenal, who are languishing just two points above the relegation zone.
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