Opta Predicts Liverpool v Manchester United: Back 18/1 Mo Salah Bet Builder at Anfield

• Mo Salah has 17 goals and 13 assits already

• Ruben Amorim's side have scored one goal in eight trips to Anfield

• Opta have put together 18/119.00 Bet Builder

• Man Utd are 18/119.00 for the top four but 33/134.00 for relegation

• Liverpool now 1/41.25 to win the Premier League

• Place £10 bet on any sport on the Betfair Exchange to start your Free Bet Streak

Football... Only Bettor Podcast - Listen here!

For Liverpool and Manchester United this has been a season of differing fortunes to say the least.

But will it be a case of new year, new me for either team in their opening game of 2025? Let's have a look at the data and see.

Are Man Utd in danger of relegation?

In short, no. There's no way to sugarcoat this, Manchester United are thoroughly miserable at the moment and you should be finding any avenue to get against them from a betting perspective.

Ruben Amorim's side are setting new standards for how poor things can possibly get. Their 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle was their fourth straight loss in all competitions and a sixth in eight matches.

That regrettable run has included five defeats in six Premier League matches, including three straight league losses within the same season for the first time since December 2015 under Louis van Gaal.

While they travel to Anfield on Sunday rather than host Liverpool, it is also worth noting - as a marker for where United are currently at - that they have also lost three consecutive top-flight matches at Old Trafford for the first time since February 1979.

Since Amorim oversaw a 1-1 draw away to Ipswich in his first game in charge in November, only bottom-of-the-league Southampton (seven) have lost more games in all competitions among Premier League clubs than Manchester United (six).

The six defeats they had in December are also the most they have suffered in a single month since September 1930.

United also come into the new year 14th in the Premier League table, which is their lowest position at the turn of the year since 1989, when they were 15th before eventually finishing 13th.

While talk of them being in a relegation battle from Amorim is likely to be more of a psychological tactic than a realistic prospect, it is a testament to how grim the situation is at the club that it is even being mentioned.

The Opta supercomputer gives them just a 0.1% chance of going down, although they are just seven points above the bottom three and trail sixth-placed Manchester City by nine.

United's likeliest finishing position according to the supercomputer is 13th, which they have a 13.9% chance of doing, while their top-four chances are now remote at 0.3%.

Find a way to get with Liverpool

So, one thing you probably don't want when on such a miserable run is a trip to the runaway Premier League leaders.

Just as United seem to be finding new lows, Arne Slot is helping Liverpool reach heights not experienced for some time. They coasted past West Ham in a 5-0 away victory for their final match of 2024 and come into this on the back of a 23-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

Liverpool have won 20 matches in that unbeaten sequence, including each of their last four and everything here is pointing towards a one-sided affair. Unsurprisingly, Liverpool are heavy favourites at 2/91.22, but it's worth instead exploring the handicap markets.

Liverpool have covered the -1 handicap in seven of their last 12 matches and are 4/61.67 to do the same on Sunday but, for those looking for a bigger price, the -2 handicap is also appealing at 15/82.88.

Liverpool have won two of their last three matches by a margin of at least three goals, while they also won 3-0 at Old Trafford in the reverse fixture in September.

It is also worth noting that Liverpool have covered the two-goal handicap in four of their last seven league meetings against Manchester United.

The aggregate score of their last three matches against United at Anfield is 11-0, while the 18 goals conceded by United in December is their most in a single month since March 1964. The Red Devils have also failed to score on each of their last five visits to Anfield.

Misfiring Manchester United to blank again

So, we can reasonably expect a dominant victory from the hosts on Sunday, which should mean there are some goal-related angles to exploit.

Liverpool are the top scorers in the Premier League with 45 goals in just 18 matches, while they netted 21 across six matches in December - at least three more than any other team in the competition.

They also registered the highest xG (18.4), while they had 286 shots on target in the Premier League in 2024 - the joint-most on record since 2004 - and scored the most goals (92).

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, meanwhile, had the third-worst save percentage of anyone to have made over 15 appearances last year (66.15%).

Liverpool are 5/61.84 to score over 2.5 goals, having done so in five of their last seven matches, while they scored twice in the other two respective matches in that sequence.

United come into this on the back of three straight defeats to nil, while they managed just one shot on target in their most recent defeat to Newcastle.

They went a goal down within just four minutes last time out, which was the seventh time they have conceded in the opening five matches at Old Trafford since the start of 2023 - for context, it happened seven times between 2013 and 2022.

The Newcastle match was the fourth time in five games in all competitions that Manchester United have been losing at half-time.

As a result, the Liverpool/Liverpool half-time/full-time bet looks decent at 8/111.73. Elsewhere, BTTS: No is available at 23/202.15, while under 0.5 Manchester United goals is 5/42.25.

Impossible to look past superb Salah

There are only so many superlatives that exist to describe the form of Mohamed Salah so far this season but, in short, the Egyptian has been scintillating.

He has registered 30 top-flight goal involvements (17 goals, 13 assists) so far this season, with a league-high 14 of those coming in December.

He created eight big chances in December - two more than any other player - registered seven assists - the joint-most by any Premier League player in a single month - had the joint-most shots (30) alongside Cole Palmer and registered the highest xG (7.0).

It is not an exaggeration to suggest that Salah has been unplayable for large parts of this season and that is reflected in his price of 2/51.40 to score or assist.

Instead, it makes sense to back him separately to do both. He is 4/51.80 to score anytime and 7/52.40 to register another assist. He has done both in five of his last eight league appearances, while Liverpool's 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace in October was the last time he failed to do either in the league.

Salah regularly torments United - he has scored more goals (12) and provided more assists (6) against them than any other player has managed in Premier League history.

Trent Alexander Arnold and VVD also worth noting

Another player worth keeping tabs on is Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is 15/82.88 to register an assist. Onana has twice been caught out by balls into his box in two games, conceding from a Joelinton header last time out and from a Matheus Cunha corner at Wolves on Boxing Day.

There are few players in the Premier League with the quality of delivery possessed by Alexander-Arnold, who has three assists and a goal in his last five league appearances.

Given the above, it is also worth a look at Virgil van Dijk in the anytime goalscorer market at 6/17.00.

The Liverpool captain has taken six shots in his last six league appearances, including two last time out at West Ham, while he hit the post against Manchester City in early December and has scored at the Emirates this season vs Arsenal.

Back 18/119.00 Bet Builder at Anfield

Now that we have painted the picture of the story at Anfield on Sunday, let us combine the legs above to put together a Bet Builder at a price worth chancing, which can be difficult when a side is so short to win the game.

However, we must look no further Liverpool's right-side, and that of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander Arnold.

• Mohamed Salah to score
• Mohamed Salah to register an assist
• Trent Alexander-Arnold to register an assist
• BTTS: No

Now read more of our latest tips and previews here!