Manchester United’s away form gives them edge at Anfield, Phil Foden keeps improving and the Black Country derby returns
The team with the league’s best home record (seven wins and a draw) host the team with the league’s best away record (also seven wins and a draw) at Anfield on Sunday. It is hard to work out why Liverpool, who have been so good at home (and in recent years, magnificent everywhere), suddenly look relatively humdrum away, or why
Manchester United, who in recent years have been humdrum everywhere, should suddenly be magnificent away. The impact of venue on the performances of certain individuals is more puzzling still. Before this season Marcus Rashford had scored 27 home goals and 17 away; last season there were 12 at home and five away. Yet in nine starting appearances at Old Trafford he has scored once and not claimed an assist, while he has six goals and five assists in eight away games. In this time, most of his appearances at centre-forward have been at home. No doubt
Liverpool have a dedicated performance dichotomy analyst beavering away at precisely this issue; we will have to wait to see what bespoke Rashford-neutering tweak they come up with. SB