Arne Slot finds himself on the precipice of Anfield history as he readies his Liverpool side for the short, high-tension trip down the M62 to face bitter rivals Manchester United.
The Dutchman is currently chasing a landmark coaching record, but to claim it, he must navigate one of the most daunting fixtures in world football.
With a depleted squad and the intensity of the North West derby looming, Slot heads to Old Trafford looking to cement his name in the record books while simultaneously tightening the Reds’ grip on a Champions League spot for the 2026/27 season.
Slot will take great encouragement from the fighting spirit Liverpool has displayed of late. He’ll be banking on that same dogged determination to carry them through the challenges of Old Trafford as they hunt for a vital away victory.
Indeed, the Reds had to wait until the 100th minute of their heated clash with city rivals Everton – as Virgil Van Dijk emphatically headed home – to pick up all three points.
Moreover, the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace last time out at Anfield might read as a convincing win when glancing at the scoreline, but it was another tough match for Slot’s side to navigate, with a dubious Daniel Munoz goal nearly derailing proceedings.
Thankfully, Florian Wirtz made sure of all three points on home turf with a beautifully taken effort right at the end of the game, which beat a helpless Dean Henderson, as Liverpool now only needs an extra five points from their last four Premier League matches of the season to clinch Champions League football.
Hopefully, their coolness under pressure in these games stands them in good stead to confidently secure another win against Michael Carrick’s hosts.
It won’t be straightforward, of course, with the Red Devils winning the reverse fixture earlier in the season when Liverpool were extremely down in the dumps.
On top of that, the reigning Premier League champions have only won one of their last four meetings at Old Trafford in all competitions, with a breathless 4-3 win for United sticking out from 2024 in the FA Cup.
However, if Slot were to collect Liverpool’s 18th Premier League win of the season on Sunday afternoon, he would enter the history books…
The historic feat Slot could pull off
Slot’s debut season at the Liverpool helm was a majestic one to take in, as he romped home to the Premier League title in style.
His second season has been an almighty hangover, unfortunately, with the Reds set to end the campaign without any meaningful silverware, but the Dutchman can enter the history books with a win at Old Trafford this weekend.
Indeed, if he were to steer his injury-plagued troops to a win in Manchester, the ex-Feyenoord head coach would be the first ever in the illustrious club’s history to win his first two away games travelling to their arch rivals.
This is a feat that wasn’t even broken during Jurgen Klopp’s long reign with the Reds, with Slot forever immortalised on Merseyside if he were to get the better of their North West rivals.
He would need to sort out his team’s indifferent away form, though, with the injury issues piling up at Anfield also potentially hurting his chances of pulling off such a feat.
Slot will have his work cut out for him
Indeed, while many have questioned whether Slot is the right fit for Liverpool merely from a tactical standpoint, with the Dutchman far more measured than the high-octane Klopp, he has also had terrible injury luck to contend with during his wretched second season.
He will be without 17-goal star Hugo Ekitike for the trip to the Theatre of Dreams, with the Frenchman picking up a nightmare injury against Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the season.
Liverpool Away Form: Last 5 Games:
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| April 19 2026 | Everton | 2-1 W |
| April 8 2026 | PSG | 2-0 L |
| April 4 2026 | Manchester City | 4-0 L |
| March 21 2026 | Brighton | 2-1 L |
| March 10 2026 | Galatasaray | 1-0 L |
Alongside an ever-extending injury list, Liverpool has struggled on the road as of late, away from securing a last-minute win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with four defeats on the spin before shocking David Moyes’ side.
Still, during these specific fixtures, the form book often goes out the window, with Liverpool needing only two more points to clinch Champions League football for another season, if Slot were to steer his inconsistent Reds to a historic victory in Manchester.
