2 weeks ago
41
Wayne Rooney believes Anfield will prove a "horrible place to go" for Manchester United on Sunday, as Liverpool looks to halt a sequence of three consecutive defeats.
Arne Slot's players were setting the pace at the Premier League summit before successive setbacks against Crystal Palace and Chelsea enabled Arsenal to leapfrog them during the international break. The Reds could find themselves trailing Arsenal by four points when United makes the journey across the M62, with Rooney anticipating a challenging day for his former employers on Merseyside.
The former Everton forward, who remains United's record goalscorer with 253 strikes, acknowledges his old club must perform at its peak to claim its first Anfield triumph since 2016, recalling the difficulties of securing positive results at Liverpool's fortress during his Old Trafford tenure.
"I think, going to Anfield in any situation, regardless of whether Liverpool have lost a few games - we used to have it when Liverpool are challenging them for the title - you go and these players, and the press and high end of the crowds up at Anfield, and it was horrible, horrible place to go," Rooney said on his self-titled BBC show.
"And I think just with Liverpool losing three games, and that pride kicks in, and the fans will know, the fans are not stupid.
"They'll know, they'll get behind the team and push them.
"So, I think if United come away with a few points that'd be huge.
"I think the Liverpool [and] United [rivalry] is more deep hate, I think Everton [and] Liverpool, because it's your family that are Liverpool fans, it's not hatred, it's just a rivalry, but I think United Liverpool is deep, deep hatred.
"I think the cities [of] Liverpool and Manchester - the people are so similar.
"So, I think that's a working class, down to earth families which adds to it.
"It's similar cities, similar culture."
Regarding Liverpool's season so far, Rooney comments: "I think when you bring so many new players in, all probably a bit of an ego in their own way, all wanting to do well, and it's hard to find that chemistry with each other.
"I think that hasn't quite hit off yet, even though they've won like the first five games, I think where the last three games has probably shown to everyone and exposed their first five games.
"Oh, you know what this has been, right? All season. Think it's a good time for a good reset time."
English (US) ·