Paul Merson has delivered his prediction for Liverpool’s clash with Chelsea and Manchester United’s trip to Wolves in the Premier League this weekend.
Title contenders Liverpool and Chelsea meet at Anfield on Saturday evening and Merson expects a tight game between the 2020 winners and the current European champions.
Liverpool only finished third last season after struggling with injuries throughout the campaign but have been boosted by the return of star defender Virgil van Dijk and taken six points from their first two games of the new season.
Chelsea are also joint-top with a perfect record, having beaten London rivals Crystal Palace and Arsenal so far, with club-record signing Romelu Lukaku opening his account at the Emirates last weekend.
‘It’s the biggest game of the Premier League weekend and for all the neutrals out there, this is the game to watch out for this season,’ Merson said in a column for Sportskeeda.
‘It’s still early in the season, but both these sides will look to lay down the marker – they are very well matched and will cause each other a lot of problems.
‘I don’t like predicting draws, but I can see Chelsea and Liverpool sharing the spoils at Anfield. They won’t want to lose, so an interesting contest could be on the cards.
‘Virgil van Dijk’s return has been a massive boost for Liverpool, but he’s set to come up against a proper handful in Romelu Lukaku, who scored on his homecoming against Arsenal.
‘Which of these two world-class players will come out on top? Only time will tell. I’m going for 1-1.’
On Sunday, Manchester United – who have confirmed they have reached an agreement to re-sign Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo – will look to get back to winning ways at Wolves.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side thrashed Leeds United 5-1 on the opening weekend but could only draw 1-1 with Southampton last time out.
Merson added: ‘I was a bit disappointed with Manchester United last weekend. When they made it 1-1 against Southampton, there was a feeling that they would go on to win the game.
‘Funnily enough, it seems to be exactly what the players thought – before they knew it, the game drifted away and you were in injury time. They didn’t get anywhere close to scoring, as there was no urgency.
‘Ole Gunnar Solskjaer didn’t show enough conviction for me – he replaced Fred with Scott McTominay when they needed a goal. Why not throw another attacker on and have a go like Sir Alex Ferguson used to do back in the day?
‘He played it safe that day and it cost them two points, so it’s important to remember that Premier League titles are won by having a go!
‘Wolves have been unlucky so far and deserved something from the game against Spurs. They’ve had around 40 shots in their last two games but didn’t manage to score, but who is to say a couple don’t go in if they do something similar against Manchester United?
I’’m not sure about Jadon Sancho but I think Raphael Varane could start this game, as his pace could be useful against the electric Adama Traore.
‘This is a dangerous game for Manchester United and I expect them to drop points once again. I’m going for 1-1.’
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