Likeable Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will take his Liverpool team to Old Trafford today, and word round the dartboard here in the Tavern is that the Liverpool fans quite fancy their chances.

Sitting second in the Premier League table, Liverpool are having an excellent campaign led by their inspirational German manager.

With only Antonio Conte’s Chelsea beating them to being cream of the crop as it stands, the Reds will understandably be confident of a result at United today.

Jose Mourinho though and his men are good form themselves, and Liverpool will have to be at their very best to come away with three points.

Our landlord thinks Liverpool can comfortably beat Mourinho’s team though, and here are THREE reasons why…

Keep Michael Carrick off the ball

He might be well into his 30’s, but Man United mainstay Michael Carrick has been superb this season and now finds himself a key man in Mourinho’s team.

Klopp will need to ensure his midfield are full of energy and right on top of their game to deny Carrick too much of the ball.

Stopping Carrick can be key for Liverpool today, and it will be interesting to see who Klopp tasks with doing the job in the centre of the park.

Stop the supply line to Zlatan

Big Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been a revelation since signing in the summer for United, putting to bed any doubts about his ability to do the business in our league.

Key to nullifying Zlatan is stopping the supply line to him from both wide and central areas.

His versatility means that he can deal with all sorts of balls played into him, whether be long from the back, short into feet, or crosses from out wide.

Klopp will need to make sure his team press high up the pitch to stop the initial supply line if they are to keep Zlatan quiet.

Quieten the Old Trafford crowd

The longer it stays 0-0 at Old Trafford, the more restless the natives will become.

Despite hitting a good patch of form, the tension of a derby game like this means Old Trafford will be on edge for most of the day.

Klopp should ensure his players do all they can to quieten the crowd early on through keeping the ball, putting the United back line under pressure, and not giving up easy chances.