Jamie Carragher gives Man Utd v Liverpool prediction amid hard-hitting verdict on both teams

Jamie Carragher has issued his prediction for Liverpool’s Premier League clash against Manchester United on Sunday, along with a rather unflattering verdict on both teams.

A win for the home side at Old Trafford would see them do the double over their arch-rivals this season and confirm Champions League qualification, while victory for Arne Slot’s team would move them above their opponents into third place.

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The Reds will be striving to maintain their improved form which saw them win all three of their top-flight games in April and now has them close to guaranteeing a top-five finish, with Gary Neville saying he is ‘95%-99% certain‘ they’ll be in the Champions League again next term.

Carragher unconvinced by both Liverpool and Man United

Although both teams have shown signs of improvement after a difficult period earlier in the season, Carragher hasn’t been particularly convinced by either of them, and he’s predicting a share of the spoils on Sunday.

He told That Peter Crouch Podcast: “Man United versus Liverpool – I’m not confident. I’m not. I don’t think United are playing well, to be fair. I think Liverpool are getting results without playing well. I’m not convinced by them at all, to be honest, at the minute. I can’t see Liverpool winning it.

“I’m going to go for a 1-1 draw. I think these teams will probably finish third and fourth in the Premier League, but I don’t think either of them are a really good team, to be honest.”

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Liverpool getting results without being world-beating

Liverpool’s upturn in form has made this fixture seem less daunting than it did a month ago, and they’d actually secure Champions League qualification on Sunday if they win and both Brighton (away to Newcastle) and Bournemouth (at home to Crystal Palace) drop points over the weekend.

There’s some truth in Carragher’s view that recent performances haven’t been quite as good as the results would suggest – they needed a last-gasp Virgil van Dijk goal to beat Everton and were clinging onto a 2-1 lead against the Eagles last Saturday before Florian Wirtz’s stoppage-time strike.

After such a tough season for the Reds, though, we’d all have taken a sequence of three wins by any means necessary, and it’s put us in a position whereby a draw at Old Trafford could be viewed as a decent point earned rather than two dropped.

As Neville has said, a win on Sunday could have huge implications for either coach. If Man United triumph, Michael Carrick’s chances of getting the job permanently would increase. If Liverpool avenge the Anfield defeat from last October, it’d feel like an enormous fillip for Slot after the pressure he’s been under in recent months.

If this is another one of those games where the Merseysiders don’t play particularly well but come away with all three points, we’d happily sign up for that right now!

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