Buoyed MU ready for Anfield hostilities

It has been a while since Manchester United made the trip to Liverpool with a justifiable sense of superiority but they head to Anfield on Sunday for their Premier League clash crowing.

United's struggles in recent seasons have coincided with Liverpool's rise under Jurgen Klopp and their fans have had to stomach watching the Merseysiders win the Champions League, Premier League, both domestic cups and more.

But what a difference a year makes. While Liverpool appear to be on the wane, Dutchman Erik Ten Hag has inspired a renaissance at Old Trafford.

United claimed their first silverware since 2017 last Sunday and have lost just one of their last 11 Premier League games. Since the resumption of the competition following the World Cup, no side has claimed more points (23).

Claiming a first Premier League title in 10 years remains a long shot but a win at Anfield would fuel belief that United are ready to pounce.

Ten Hag said his side were prepared to "suffer" and "sacrifice" at a hostile Anfield.

"It will be great, it will be hostile against us, but we like that," said Ten Hag. "I know these players, my squad, my team, will be prepared to go there and fight and to go there with confidence. We know we will have to suffer and we will have to sacrifice to get a good result."

But the United boss sees no reason why they cannot win at a raucous Anfield this weekend and complete a league double over Liverpool this season. "We have to play and to make it our game," said the Dutchman.

United were hammered 5-0 at home and 4-0 away in their two league meetings with Liverpool last season, but Klopp was wary of the Red Devils in their current iteration.

"They have turned into a results machine. They are squeezing results out with some really good performances. Top football, and if it is not going so well, they still get results," Klopp said.

"This is a week where I would like to give the season a proper push," said Klopp. "I said I would like to squeeze everything out of this season. That means to finish as high as we somehow can, but nobody knows where that will be. So we just have to make the next decisive step and we go from there."

Klopp also called on his team to work as a unit to contain the Marcus Rashford -- who has been in red-hot form this season with 25 goals in 39 matches.

"He had a very difficult last year. Now he is playing incredible. His speed, his technique - it is a mix of everything. How calm he is in front of goal. He scores worldies, he scores the simple ones, he can put his head in. All these kinds of things. We have to defend against that collectively. He is not their only world-class player."