United-Liverpool has, once more, the feel of a heavyweight bout

Manchester United host Liverpool in a match that has huge implications for both clubs.

Sometimes the biggest moments of a league campaign emerge only in hindsight. Many a title race has been decided at grounds like Selhurst Park and the Stadium of Light. Sunday’s title race crossroads, however, is clearly signposted.

It could be the game of the season, not just in terms of its spectacle and box office value, but in its influence on the outcome of the 2018-19 Premier League campaign. Fixtures between Manchester United and Liverpool always matter, such is the nature of the deep-rooted rivalry between the two clubs and the two cities, but this one transcends even that.

Hyperbole can’t distort the weight of this match. Liverpool, top of the table with just 12 fixtures left to play, are now staring the most significant achievement in their modern history in the face. Like a Brit winning Wimbledon or the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series, the sight of a Liverpool side lifting the Premier League trophy has been talked about so often as a hypothetical vision it’s difficult to imagine it will ever become reality.

And yet Jurgen Klopp and his players must accept and embrace the reality of where they are. At times in recent weeks Liverpool have appeared on edge, even nervous, as if the gravity of their situation is weighing heavy. A win over Leicester a few weeks ago would have put the Reds seven points clear. Instead, back-to-back draws saw their lead cut to just three points, with a Manchester City game in-hand drawing the sides level.

Whatever happens on Sunday is likely to be reflected upon as a pivotal moment in the Liverpool story. Victory would prove that they are finally, after nearly 29 years, ready to be champions of England again. Defeat or even a draw, however, would see familiar doubts surface. Brendan Rodgers and Rafa Benitez know how that feels.

Of course this is a match with added weight for United, too. This is a team and a club that have seemed a little bit more like their usual self of late. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Old Trafford has been energized, even if United’s biggest moments with the former striker in charge — wins over Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs — have come away from home.

A top four place is now the carrot dangling in front of United’s nose, but for Solskjaer the motivation to win this Sunday is even greater. One more landmark victory over a high-caliber rival might well be enough to convince the United board to give him the job permanently. The clamor is building with every big result.

Both United and Liverpool have problems to solve ahead of Sunday’s clash at Old Trafford. Solskjaer is expected to be without Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial, two players integral to the fast and furious, counter-attacking style implemented by the Norwegian since he replaced the conservative-minded Jose Mourinho.

Klopp will be grateful for the return of Virgil van Dijk following his suspension against Bayern Munich during the week, but Liverpool’s defense will still be somewhat thin, with Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren out and Trent Alexander-Arnold only recently having recovered from injury. Roberto Firmino has also been struggling this week with illness.

The temptation for Klopp, as must always be the case, will be to unleash his front three on United. However, that would leave his team exposed to the counter-attack, which would present Solskjaer with the chance to inflict some damage of his own. For the neutral, this would be the best possible scenario, but Thomas Tuchel demonstrated to his compatriot just last week the value of being somewhat more pragmatic against this United side.

Over the past half-century, Manchester United and Liverpool have taken it in turns to reign supreme over English soccer. When one is on top, the other is invariably floundering. This weekend’s game could continue that trend, or it could pull the two clubs closer together once again.