Manchester United will be hoping to halt a four-game losing run when they travel to Anfield to face Liverpool this afternoon.

The Reds brought the curtain down on 2024 with a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United on Monday evening, marking a third successive Premier League defeat. It also marked a third league game in a row without finding the back of the net.

As a result, United will travel to Anfield sitting 14th in the Premier League table, seven points above the relegation zone. But when you consider United have not beaten Liverpool away from home since 2016 and their hosts are currently sitting pretty at the top of the table, you would be very brave to back Ruben Amorim's side to put a little bit more distance between themselves and danger.

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Ahead of this afternoon's encounter, here are five things to look out for:

Amad's role

Amad has been United's best player since Amorim walked through the door in November, fully justifying the club's eagerness to tie him down to a new contract as soon as possible. He has started eight of Amorim's first 11 games in charge, playing a direct hand in seven of the 17 goals United have scored under his stewardship.

However, he has made each of his last four Premier League starts as the right-sided No.10 and has struggled to have the same impact as he was having from the right wing-back role he was operating in beforehand.

Liverpool are expected to do almost all of the attacking this afternoon, meaning United are likely to often find themselves having to defend in numbers, meaning Amorim could be wise to stick with two full-backs in the wing-back roles, leaving Amad to operate in the front-three once again.

However, United have not been anywhere near as prosperous in an attacking sense when Amad has been dragged away from the wing-back position. It is a dilemma Amorim must solve.

Stopping Salah

If United are to have any chance of taking anything from this game, they are going to have to stop one of the world's most in-form players. Mohamed Salah, who has often terrorised United in recent years, has a jaw-dropping 17 goals and 13 assists in 18 Premier League games this season.

Scoring 20 goals across all competitions, the Egyptian, who is out-of-contract at Anfield this summer, has scored in all but one of his last 11 league appearances and will be looking to score for the fourth game running this afternoon.

Ageing like a fine wine, Salah has scored 15 goals in 16 games against United in a Liverpool shirt, including one effort at Old Trafford earlier this season. Keeping him quiet is going to be a challenge in itself.

Garnacho to be recalled?

Since being omitted from the matchday squad for the 2-1 win over Manchester City three weeks ago, Alejandro Garnacho has not started for United. He has, however, appeared as a substitute in each of their last four matches.

Having not been able to buy a start during United's recent losing streak, Amorim might be tempted to unleash him from the start at Anfield, in the hope of him giving his team the spark it so desperately needs. If he is recalled, it is likely he will operate as one of the No.10s in the front-three.

If that proves to be the case, it is likely he will start as the left-sided No.10 and Bruno Fernandes, who is back available after suspension, will start as the right-sided No.10. Garnacho's chances of starting, however, will rest on Amad's role.

A moment of unwanted history

Considering United have failed to score on each of their last five visits to Anfield, you would be brave to back them to end that drought this afternoon. However, football can often be full of surprises and nothing can be ruled out.

But in the event of United firing a sixth successive blank at the home of their rivals, they will stretch their goalless run in the Premier League to four matches - something they have never previously done in the Premier League era.

United have often gone three games without a goal since the inaugural Premier League season in 1992/93 but never once have they gone four in a row without finding the back of the net. It is another record Amorim will be hoping to avoid.

Transfer reminder

As well as having to deal with Salah on one side of the Liverpool attack, United will have to contend with Luis Diaz on the other. Like Salah, the Colombian is enjoying a fine season and also scored at Old Trafford in the reverse meeting earlier this season.

The winger, who has three goals in his last two Premier League appearances, has scored 12 goals and registered three assists across all competitions so far this season, making him a key player for Arne Slot. But had former United interim manager Ralf Rangnick had his way, Diaz may have been lining up in a United shirt.

Rangnick submitted a list of names to the United hierarchy in the 2022 January transfer window and Diaz, who was at FC Porto at the time, was on it. However, United chiefs shut down any hopes Rangnick had of signing the attacker. Since joining Liverpool in the aforementioned window, he has scored 36 goals in 122 games.