Manchester United v Liverpool The Stats

As these old rivals, Manchester United and Liverpool, collide once more in a vitally important Premier League encounter here’s some facts from recent games:

• Liverpool are bidding for back-to-back league doubles, something they achieved before when they did the double over their rivals in both 2000/01 and 2001/02.
• 11 of the last 16 league meetings at Old Trafford between these have finished with fewer than three goals.
• Man Utd have kept clean sheets in eight of their nine home Premier League wins over Liverpool.
• None of the first nine big-four clashes this season were drawn- since 2003/04 there have always been at least two draws between the big four teams each Premiership season.
• Since 2000/01, there has been just one draw in 19 league games between these teams.
• There have been six red cards in the last six league matches between these teams. Since 1996/97, there has been a total of 13 reds in 27 league meetings between them, far greater than any other big four rivalry in this time with Liverpool  v  Chelsea at eight in 27 the next highest, followed by Liverpool/Arsenal and Arsenal/Chelsea both with six in 28 games,and then Arsenal/Man Utd with four in 28 games and finally Man Utd/Chelsea with 3 in 27 games.
• Nemanja Vidic has been sent off in each of United’s last 3 games against Liverpool, while Javier Mascherano has been dismissed in two of the last four games between the two.

So it all leads up to a fiery , fiery match up at the weekend but who will be victorious? I am going with United for the win by two goals.