Former Liverpool star explains one reason Man Utd won’t win the league as he predicts LFC win this weekend

Originally posted on Caught Offside | By Mark Brus | Last updated 1/14/21

Former Liverpool left-back John Arne Riise has explained the one reason he doesn’t think Manchester United will be up there in May as the main contenders for the Premier League title.

The Red Devils are currently top of the table after beating Burnley in midweek, and now face a huge game away to reigning champions Liverpool this weekend.

It’s a big opportunity for United, who could go six points clear with a win over Jurgen Klopp’s side, but Riise is predicting a 3-1 win for his old club on Sunday.

The former Norway international also feels United are too reliant on Bruno Fernandes to be genuine title challengers, as he pointed out that the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City have squads full of top class players they can depend on.

That certainly doesn’t seem to be the case for Man Utd in quite the same way, even if Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba are also very capable of big performances on their day.

Neither has really been consistent enough, with Fernandes by far the club’s stand-out performer since he joined from Sporting Lisbon last January.

Are Manchester United overly reliant on Bruno Fernandes?

Riise, speaking exclusively to Ladbrokes at its launch of the 5-A-Side Bet on Liverpool v Man United, said: “I think both teams will be thinking they can hurt Sunday’s opponents by taking advantage of their defence, which makes for a great game. I’m going for a 3-1 win for Liverpool.

“Man United are very reliant on Bruno Fernandes, though. If he’s out for any reason this season, they’ll struggle. That’s why I don’t think United will be up there in May, because they’re too dependent on that one player. Man City and Liverpool have so many players who can carry the team; Man United only have one.”

This article first appeared on Caught Offside and was syndicated with permission.

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