Manchester United v Liverpool: Reds to comfortably overcome hapless hosts

United hit rock bottom

I made a bold prediction prior to the start of the new Premier League season, that Newcastle United would finish above Manchester United.

After the Red Devils lost at home to Brighton in their opening game of the campaign I suggested - somewhat tongue in cheek - that Newcastle may even finish as many as 10 points ahead of United.

After Erik Ten Hag's men were thrashed and humiliated at Brentford last weekend, dropping them to 20th in the table, I'm in no mood to change my mind.

Marcus Rashford was dreadful last season, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw had troubled campaigns too. In the middle of the park Fred and Scott McTominay worked hard, but they looked a million miles below the standard required to play pivotal roles for a team with ambitions of a title challenge, and Jadon Sancho quickly looked like a waste of a big chunk of money.

Yet incredibly, five of those six players mentioned above have started both of United's league defeats this term, and the sixth - McTominay - started one and came on as a sub in the other.

Why aren't glaring errors being addressed, why aren't lessons being learned?

When you add also that Cristiano Ronaldo wants away, and that David De Gea and Bruno Fernandes have started the season poorly, then we're looking at a team that right now isn't good enough to finish in the top 10 never mind within 10 points of Newcastle.

The only positive I can offer prior to arguably United's biggest fixture in the calendar is that expectation is now at an all-time low, and that a much-changed starting XI - I'll be staggered if Ten Hag sticks largely with the team that lost at Brentford - can go out and play with far less pressure than in previous seasons when they've hosted arch rivals Liverpool.

Better performance but still no win for Reds

Having been about as negative as I possibly could be about Manchester United, there isn't exactly a lot of positive things to say about Liverpool right now.

Put simply, you'd have gotten big odds a fortnight ago that with Fulham, Brighton, Brentford and Crystal Palace to play between them, United and Liverpool would still be searching for their first league win of the season going into Monday night's huge encounter.

Jurgen Klopp's men performed pretty miserably in their opening 2-2 draw at Fulham, and while their performance was much better at home to Palace last week they still struggled to carve out more than a few clear cut chances despite dominating possession and having around 25 shots at goal.

It also didn't help when Darwin Nunez inexplicably head-butted Joachim Andersen in full view of the referee meaning he'll be absent on Monday night as he serves the first of a three-game suspension.

Roberto Firmino is fully fit again and likely to replace Nunez in attack, though the Reds still have a lengthy injury list with the likes of Joel Matip, Ibrahima Konate, Thiago, Curtis Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Diogo Jota all still on the sidelines.

Liverpool justifiably odds-on to take the points

Even accounting for the fact that Liverpool are yet to win a league game this season, I just don't envisage any scenario in which they fail to beat United on Monday night.

Both teams will undoubtedly lift themselves for this huge fixture, and with that in mind then it's impossible to argue that the Reds aren't streets ahead of United when it comes to ability, mentality, and togetherness.

Klopp's men thrashed United in this fixture last season, racing to a 4-0 interval lead before winning 5-0, and they didn't even come out of second gear in winning the reverse fixture 4-0.

In fact, Liverpool have scored an incredible 13 goals in their last three league games against United and they haven't lost in any of their last eight Premier League meetings.

Sometimes football betting is all about opposing just one team, and given the way Ten Hag's men have started this season I'm of the opinion that they're in a worse state now than at any time within the last three or four years. They simply have to be opposed.

I'm going to say that even a price of 1.645/8 for the away win is more than fair - United are 5.79/2 with the Draw available at 4.57/2 - but given my confidence in a Reds win I'm happy to make Liverpool -1 at 2.767/4 on the Handicap my best bet of the game.

Super Salah a must for any Bet Builders

lf you're looking towards a Bet Builder for Monday night's clash then your first port of call surely has to be Mo Salah.

The Egyptian King has a stunning record against United in recent seasons, scoring an incredible eight goals in his last four appearances against the Red Devils, including a hat-trick in this very fixture last season.

Again, I think a price of Evens about Salah scoring at anytime during the game is very fair.

Salah to score will undoubtedly figure prominently in Bet Builders, which there'll be plenty of as this game is part of the "Bet 5 Get 5" promotion where punters get a £5 free bet if they place a £5 bet on Bet Builders in selected games.

So Liverpool's talisman has to be a selection to score at anytime, along with a goal or an assist (anytime) for the Reds' other main goal threat, Luis Diaz.

The Colombian wide man is already off the mark for this season, scoring a stunning equaliser against Crystal Palace last week, and in his only game for Liverpool against United last term he both scored and assisted in a 4-0 victory.

You can combine these two player bets with a Liverpool win in a Bet Builder that pays just shy of 10/3.

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Read former Manchester United star Patrice Evra's exclusive views on where it's all going wrong at his former club.