Manchester United v Liverpool: Herrera’s chance to show his worth
In what should be a thrilling encounter on paper, Saturday’s game at Anfield provides Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera with the perfect opportunity to kick-start his season.
After a strong campaign which ended with him winning the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, few could have imagined that Herrera would be fighting for a place in Jose Mourinho’s starting eleven come the new season.
The arrival of Nemanja Matic has pushed Herrera down the pecking order and the manager’s seemingly unending faith in Marouane Fellaini meant that Herrera has barely got a look-in, even after Paul Pogba’s injury in mid-September.
That might be about to change though, as Fellaini hobbled off during international duty with Belgium with an expected knee injury and effectively ruling him out of the North-West Derby.
Although we could imagine that an injury to another midfielder is the last thing United fans would have wanted, it could possibly be the watershed moment for Herrera to prove he is too good to warm the bench for long periods.
Big-game credentials
In the past, Herrera has shown that he has a knack of thriving in high-pressure games, one of United’s visit to Anfield in 2015 being one.
United won 2-1 on that day thanks to a brace from Juan Mata, one of his goals assisted by Herrera, who put in an energetic performance and looked buzzing with passion on the whole.
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However, it is probably easier to remember the 50-50 challenge with Steven Gerrard which led to the Kop captain taking an early bath for a perceived stamp on Herrera. Some of the credits should go to the 28-year old for his willingness to get stuck in and not shy away from the challenge, especially considering the high-stakes nature of the game where the slightest of mistakes could alter the course of the game.
Herrera also showed his knack for big games in last season’s 2-0 win against Chelsea at Old Trafford in April.
The Spaniard made his presence felt on both ends of the pitch, assisting one goal and creating another, all while keeping Chelsea’s star man Eden Hazard quiet with a sumptuous man-marking performance Old Trafford had yet to see since Park Ji-sung’s departure.
Next: Manchester United vs Liverpool team prediction
Despite only conceding 2 goals in 7 Premier League games so far, Manchester United’s defence have yet to face the league’s top attackers and Liverpool’s glittering array of forwards should pose a stern test. A repeat performance from Herrera to stifle one of Liverpool’s attackers would go a long way towards securing the result for United.