Lawro, Merson, Shearer & Co predictions for Man Utd vs Liverpool- What do the pundits think?

The Dutch manager derby between Arne Slot and Erik ten Hag takes place later this afternoon at Old Trafford as Manchester United host arch rivals Liverpool. The Reds are the only team left in the table not to have conceded a goal after Arsenal let in one against Brighton yesterday.

Here is what the big pundits have predicted for this GW3 clash.

Paul Merson

Merson says Man Utd were decent but unlucky against Brighton. Adds that Liverpool have started well under Slot and have done some excellent business in acquiring Chiesa, who according to him would be worth “£40m if he was English”

Thinks there’ll be plenty of goals in this clash and has gone for a 2-2 draw.

Merson also thinks it’ll be a “routine win” for Chelsea in their London derby clash against Palace on the same day and has tipped them to win 3-0.

Alan Shearer

Shearer says United often “produce their best performances against the big hitters”, and says this game against Liverpool could be one of them. Thinks United must avoid defensive lapses that proved to be their undoing against Brighton, and has gone for a draw with both teams scoring.

For the Chelsea-Palace game, Shearer reckons CFC will be full of confidence after thrashing Wolves last weekend, and that should mean a home win for the Blues.

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New Champions League format draw- Whom will the Premier League clubs be facing in the group stage?

The Champions League returns this year with a radically different format, one that sees each team play EIGHT group games. The 8 will be split into four home games and four away ones, but you don’t play the same team home and away- instead there are 8 different group opponents.

The group stage in 24/25 has 36 teams this year (up from 32 in previous years), and the table will be one big, combined log. Teams that finish 1-8 will directly progress to the knockout stages, while 9-24 will face each other in a playoff. 25-36 will be eliminated from Europe altogether (no EL for them)

Premier League opponents in UCL this year (2024/2025)

Man City (Home): Inter, Brugge, Feyenoord, Sparta
Man City (Away): PSG, Juventus, Sporting Lisbon, Slovan Bratislava

Liverpool (Home): Real Madrid, Leverkusen, Lille, Bologna
Liverpool (Away): Leipzig, AC Milan, PSV, Girona

Arsenal (Home): PSG, Shakhtar, Dinamo Zagreb, Monaco
Arsenal (Away): Inter, Atalanta, Sporting Lisbon, Girona

Liverpool appear to have the toughest draw on paper, although City have some tricky fixtures away from home. Arsenal have a very winnable fixture list.

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Lee Carsley’s first England squad 2024- What are the changes from Southgate’s Euro 2024 one?

New interim England manager Lee Carsley has announced his first Three Lions squad for their upcoming fixtures against Ireland and Finland. There are quite a few changes from England’s last squad- the Euro 2024 one by Gareth Southgate, which reached the finals of the Championships before losing to Spain.

Out from England Euro 2024 squad: Aaron Ramsdale, Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw, Jude Bellingham, Kieran Trippier, Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, Ivan Toney, Adam Wharton

Note- out includes retired/injured/not selected

New names/inclusions in Carsley squad not present in Euro roster: Nick Pope, Levi Colwill, Toni Livramento, Rico Lewis, Harry Maguire, Angel Gomes, Morgan Gibbs-White, Jack Grealish and Noni Madueke

First ever England call-ups for Gomes, Gibbs-White, Livramento and Madueke.

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