Manchester United

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, speaking to TNT Sports about his selection and leaving Marcus Rashford on the bench: "We have two big games in three days, we need everyone.

"We need the bench and lately we have had a strong bench. Recently players from the bench have impacted, Mason Mount.

"It is a huge impact and it is a good impact to have Rashford on the bench."

On Mount: "Not ready for a start, we will bring him on carefully. We want to avoid another injury so we have to build-up his game minutes."

On Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire starting: "It would have been an headache if they wouldn't have been fit.

"We have a lack of fit defenders so it's a relief they are available and fit. Jonny Evans didn't train a lot but the others did."

On qualifying for the Champions League: "If we want to qualify for the Champions League this is a huge opportunity."

Postpublished at 5 mins

5 mins

Liverpool 0-0 Sheffield United

Image source, Getty Images

We have a pause in play after Ryan Gravenberch and Vini Souza clash heads.

Sheffield United midfielder Souza has come off worse and is getting treatment.

Replays of that James McAtee chance in the first minute show just how sloppy the Liverpool defending was. He was totally unmarked.

How cutting would it have been for a Manchester City loanee to score the opener? And how much might Sheffield United regret not taking that chance?

From the resulting corner, Ben Brereton Diaz comes inches away from applying the finish at the far post following a flick on.

Liverpool have not woken up!

Image source, Getty Images

So nearly a shock opener!

Blades captain Jack Robinson sends in a giant throw, it is flicked on and James McAtee is totally unmarked at the far post.

He can only direct his volley straight at Caoimhin Kelleher, who reacts well to make the save with his foot.

Here we go!

You'll Never Walk Alone is blaring out as ever.

The lyric "walk on through the rain" has rarely been more appropriate in these conditions.

The teams have emerged from the tunnel into torrential rain. It is not a pleasant night at Anfield, weather wise.

Kick off is moments away.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at Anfield

Image source, Michael Emons

Sheffield United are looking to win at Anfield for the first time since Jostein Flo scored twice in a 2-1 win on 2 April, 1994, while Liverpool have not lost a home league match in 27 games, a 2-1 reverse against Leeds in October 2022.

A crowd of 60,061 - an Anfield record for a Premier League match - watched Liverpool beat Brighton 2-1 on Sunday and it’s another full house tonight.

Image source, Michael Emons

Sheffield United

Every impactful performance by Oli McBurnie this season throws renewed focus on the conundrum Sheffield United face in the next few months. McBurnie's five-year deal expires this summer and it's a thorny dilemma as to what the club do.

On the one hand, United are clearly a different team when McBurnie is on the pitch. His eight goal contributions puts him level with the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Alexis Mac Allister, Scott McTominay and Leandro Trossard.

The problem is availability and whether United are in a financial position to carry a high-earning injury-prone player. McBurnie has started just 12 times this season, playing less than 1,000 minutes in total – a handful more than Luke Thomas who we sent back to Leicester in January.

He hasn't suffered repeated serious injuries, like Rhian Brewster, just regular niggles that mean he has not started more than three games in a row all season. It is maddening to see a struggling team repeatedly without their major attacking threat just after he’s shown us all what we’ve been missing.

My hunch is that if Chris Wilder is still the manager – and all signs point to that being the case – then United will make a serious attempt to keep McBurnie. Several popular players will almost certainly be leaving at the end of their deals this summer, and retaining McBurnie would help ease that pain a little in the minds of fans for whom he is a popular, well-liked character.

Ben Meakin can be found at BladesPod, external

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United

Erik ten Hag has told TNT that Marcus Rashford is on the bench for rotation to keep him and the team fresh through a busy period, with another big game against Liverpool on Sunday.

Rich: Looking forward to an evening of everyone mocking Sheff Utd for not risking the club’s financial future and risking a future points deduction.

Glenn Murray
Former Brighton striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

It is about pride for Sheffield United, they will be bitterly disappointed from the weekend.

It is about remaining composed. Tonight is a free hit and they won't expect anything.

They will still want to put a performance in, but they'll know it's a difficult task.

George: Rob at 19.01, clearly not a Liverpool fan. Done and dusted with 3 games to spare please.

Glenn Murray
Former Brighton striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think it all goes back to a stroke of genius when Jurgen Klopp announced he was leaving in January - it galvanised the squad and everyone in the city.

Everyone wants to send him off in a special manner, they will believe they can get over the line.

The new midfield at the start of the season took time to gel, [Wataru] Endo playing in the six has made that position his and he has pushed Alexis Mac Allister forward - everything seems to have fallen into place.

Dion Dublin
Former Man Utd striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

It should be a foregone conclusion that Liverpool do their best and get over the line.

If you are this close and slip up you are in trouble, I don't expect Liverpool to do that tonight.

Standards. It is all about standards from the manager, but also standards from the players and pushing each other - the seniors and kids is balanced right.

Tonight the crowd will be noisy and they will do their bit too.

Alex Howell
BBC football news reporter at Stamford Bridge

Mauricio Pochettino names an unchanged side from the one that drew with Burnley at the weekend. Trevoh Chalobah and Carney Chukwuemeka return to the bench.

Chelsea XI: Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Badiashile, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo, Gallagher; Mudryk, Palmer, Jackson

Subs: Bettenelli, Silva, Sterling, Madueke, Chalobah, Chukwuemeka, Casadei, Gilchrist, Tauriainen

It’s three changes for Manchester United tonight. Marcus Rashford is dropped to the bench. Harry Maguire, Casemiro and Antony come in to the side.

Man Utd XI: Onana; Dalot, Maguire, Varane, Wan-Bissaka; Casemiro, Mainoo, Fernandes; Garnacho, Antony, Hojlund

Subs: Heaton, Amrabat, Mount, Rashford, Eriksen, Diallo, Evans, McTominay, Kambwala

After Sunday's 0-0 draw against Arsenal, City manager Pep Guardiola said: "Always who is first is favourite."

But Opta disagrees following Wednesday's results, with its 10,000 'supercomputer' simulations, external still favouring second-placed Liverpool on 42%.

Data analyst Nielsen's Gracenote also has Liverpool as favourites after recent results, with a 44% chance,

You can peruse the data yourselves in more detail through our article here.