Manchester United vs Liverpool; the memorable premier League meetings in their stories rivalry

For one of England’s grandest rivalries, matches between Manchester United and Liverpool have been pretty drab recently.

When these two met last season at Old Trafford, it was a game notable for a remarkable number of injuries – three players went off before half-time – and almost no goalscoring chances.

The two league meetings hosted by United before that ended 2-1 and 1-1, neither of which were classic encounters, while the 3-1 win for Liverpool at Anfield last December ended a sequence of 0-1, 0-0 and 0-0 in league games at Anfield.

Sunday’s game also threatens to be something of a damp squib given Liverpool’s imperious habit of winning and United’s wretched inability to create goalscoring chances.

With that in mind, it’s perhaps worth looking back at six of the more memorable meetings in the Premier League era between English football’s most successful clubs. And, just to throw a little fuel on the fire, we have gone and ranked them, too…

6. Man United 0-3 Liverpool: Moyes left on the brink (March 2014)

Liverpool were the team chasing the title against opponents in disarray. David Moyes was supposed to be the chosen one for United, but this result left him on borrowed time.

Steven Gerrard scored two penalties and could even afford to miss another. Nemanja Vidic saw red – not for the first time in this meeting of north-west heavyweights – before Luis Suarez, of all people, rubbed salt in the United wounds with a late goal.

The home team were fortunate the final margin was not considerably greater, while Moyes only lasted another month in the job.

5. Liverpool 1-2 Man United: Gerrard on…then off! (March 2015)

This one will always be remembered as Gerrard’s last Liverpool game against the old enemy – all 38 seconds of it.

Juan Mata had given the visitors a half-time lead, prompting Brendan Rodgers to turn to Gerrard to inject some bite into a limp Liverpool display. The captain duly did: in the first minute of the half, his reckless stamp on Ander Herrera earned him a straight red card.

Mata scored a second goal with a stunning scissor-kick, meaning Daniel Sturridge’s goal proved only consolation, as United moved five points clear of their rivals in the top-four race.