Premier League

Depending on whether Leicester City beat Southampton on Saturday night, Manchester United might no longer be top of the table at kickoff, but whover wins this huge game will definitely leapfrog their way back into top spot.

Liverpool had enjoyed that position for the last month without ever looking like the team that won the title so impressively last season. The Reds had looked back to their imperious best when thrashing Crystal Palace 7-0 at Selhurst Park just before Christmas, but since then they have managed only frustrating draws with struggling West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United, followed by a 1-0 reversal at Southampton. Even last weekend's 4-1 FA Cup win at Aston Villa carried little weight, as they played what was basically the youth team of Covid-ravaged Villa.

That Manchester United entered this weekend on top of the Premier League represents a remarkable turnaround in fortune for a team that had been largely written off after losing three of their opening six games, including their embarssing 6-1 home loss to Spurs. Despite continued patchy form in Europe, they are now unbeaten in the Premier League since losing at home to Arsenal on the first day of November, a run of eleven games that has brought nine victories and two draws, culminating in Tuesday's 1-0 win at Burnley that took them to the top of the table for the first time in years.