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Man United Faces Biggest Title Test against Liverpool

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Chelsea - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - April 28, 2022. General view inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Chelsea - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - April 28, 2022. General view inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo
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Man United Faces Biggest Title Test against Liverpool

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Chelsea - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - April 28, 2022. General view inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Chelsea - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - April 28, 2022. General view inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo

One of English soccer’s biggest rivalries resumes at Anfield on Sunday with the tables turned.
Last season, it was Liverpool in pursuit of a quadruple of trophies. This year, it is a Manchester United team rejuvenated by manager Erik ten Hag that has a chance to win four titles.

If United can navigate its way around arguably its most difficult remaining test in the Premier League, a serious title challenge could be possible, The Associated Press said.

Having already played leading pair Arsenal and Manchester City home and away this season, a trip to Anfield represents the last major test of United’s credentials, even after Liverpool’s recent struggles for consistency.

A Liverpool team that has already beaten City and Italian league leader Napoli at home this season could threaten to Ten Hag’s ambitions. The Merseyside club would relish the opportunity to derail United’s momentum as well as boost their own push for a Champions League qualifying spot.

As impressive as United’s transformation has been under its Dutch manager, the team has yet to secure a win against one of its major rivals away from Old Trafford. That makes the visit to Anfield potentially even more instructive regarding the 20-time league champions’ progress.

The 2-2 draw at Barcelona in the Europa League playoffs last month was evidence of the growing confidence and courage of a team that has been unable to keep pace with City and Liverpool in recent years. And while United went on to win the second leg 2-1 and advance to the round of 16, it is still waiting for that significant victory at the home of a leading club this season.

Ten Hag was humbled in his first Manchester derby in October when losing to City 6-3. At Arsenal in January, United missed the chance to put real pressure on the leaders with a 3-2 loss, curtesy of Eddie Nketiah’s winner in stoppage time. It took an injury-time goal from Casemiro to salvage a 1-1 draw at Chelsea earlier in the season.

United’s all-around improvement, however, has been undeniable, with Wednesday's come-from-behind 3-1 win over West Ham in the FA Cup the latest example of the team’s resilience.

“We showed we have the character to deal with difficult situations. The team can keep going with energy,” Ten Hag said. “They believe they can win games and once again they did it and I’m happy with that process. This team does not show panic and can change the dynamic of the game.”

Those qualities will be put to the test by a Liverpool team that has dominated this matchup in recent years, winning 5-0 and 4-0 last season.

United’s 2-1 win in August was the first time it had beaten Liverpool in the league since 2018.
If United can pick up three points, however, the season’s run-in will look relatively smooth, while Arsenal and City still have to play each other again and both face Liverpool as well.

Arsenal’s 4-0 rout of Everton on Wednesday opened up an 11-point gap on third-place United, who have a game in hand.

The only other standout away games for United are at Newcastle and Tottenham, though neither compares to the tension that accompanies a trip to Anfield.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has his own ambitions beyond disrupting the title contenders, despite a season of struggle. The 2-0 win over Wolverhampton on Wednesday moved Liverpool within six points of fourth-place Tottenham.

There have been signs of the 2020 champions rediscovering their form in recent weeks with morale-boosting wins against Everton and Newcastle. The latest, against Wolverhampton, provided hope that Klopp can still salvage the season by at least qualifying for the Champions League.

The German coach described it as the “best possible way” to prepare for United.

“I think Man United is the team in form in the moment, maybe together with Arsenal — and City are doing well,” Klopp said, adding that the home crowd could be a factor. “I thought Anfield proved a point tonight again. It was super, super-enjoyable. It felt like a proper unit. We were all together — I loved that. That’s what we need again on Sunday.”

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Sports

Sinner Seeks Australian Open ‘Three-Peat’ to Maintain Melbourne Supremacy

13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)
13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)
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Sinner Seeks Australian Open ‘Three-Peat’ to Maintain Melbourne Supremacy

13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)
13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)

Jannik Sinner returns to the Australian Open targeting a third straight title as the Italian seeks to impose a level of supremacy reminiscent of Novak Djokovic's stranglehold on the year's ​opening Grand Slam.

The 24-year-old will arrive at Melbourne Park under vastly different circumstances from 12 months ago when his successful title defense was partly overshadowed by a doping controversy which saw him serve a three-month ban.

With that storm firmly behind him, Sinner steps onto the blue courts unencumbered and with his focus sharpened after an outstanding 2025 in which he was only seriously challenged by world number ‌one Carlos ‌Alcaraz.

"I feel to be a better player ‌than ⁠last ​year," Sinner ‌said after beating Alcaraz to win the season-ending ATP Finals with his 58th match victory of a curtailed campaign.

"Honestly, amazing season. Many, many wins, and not many losses. All the losses I had, I tried to see the positive things and tried to evolve as a player.

"I felt like this happened in a very good way."

Sinner now sets his sights ⁠on a third straight Melbourne crown - a feat last achieved in the men's game during ‌the second of Djokovic's "three-peats" from 2019 to ‍2021 - and few would bet ‍against him pushing his overall major tally to five.

That pursuit continues ‍to be built on a game as relentless as it is precise, a metronomic rhythm from the baseline powered by near-robotic consistency and heavy groundstrokes that grind opponents into submission.

Although anchored in consistency and control, Sinner has worked ​to add a dash of magic - the kind of spontaneity best embodied by Alcaraz - and his pursuit will add intrigue ⁠to a rivalry that has become the defining duel of men's tennis.

"It's evolved in a positive way, especially the serving," Sinner said at the ATP Finals of his game.

"From the back of the court, it's a bit more unpredictable. I still have margins where I can play better at times.

"It's also difficult because you have to give a lot of credit to your opponent. Carlos is an incredible player. You have to push yourself over the limits."

The "Sincaraz" rivalry has already lit up most of the biggest tennis tournaments but Melbourne remains the missing piece, ‌and all signs point to that changing this year with the Australian Open set for a blockbuster title showdown.

Sports

Record Seeker Djokovic Faces ‘New Two’ Roadblock at Australian Open

13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)
13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)
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Record Seeker Djokovic Faces ‘New Two’ Roadblock at Australian Open

13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)
13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)

Novak Djokovic returns to Melbourne Park looking to roll back the apparently inexorable tide of the "Sincaraz" era and produce an Australian Open triumph that would establish ​him as the most successful Grand Slam champion of all time.

The Serbian clinched his 24th major title at the US Open in late 2023, but Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have since dominated the Grand Slams with a brand of fast-paced tennis that has blown their rivals off the court.

Djokovic, who will be 39 in May, is not impervious to the physical toll two decades on the tour has taken on his body, but only the most foolhardy observer has ever written off one of the mentally toughest players to play the game.

To move out of ‌a tie with ‌Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam singles titles in the ‌Australian's ⁠own ​back yard, ‌though, he looks likely to need to beat one or both of the "New Two" at the business end of the tournament.

Last year, the last survivor of the "Big Three" beat Alcaraz in the quarter-finals only to retire from his semi-final against Alex Zverev with a hamstring tear.

He reached the semi-finals of all four majors in 2025, losing to Sinner in Paris and at Wimbledon, as well as Alcaraz in New York.

"I lost three out of four slams in semis against these guys, so they're just too ⁠good, playing on a really high level," he said after his loss at Flushing Meadows. "Best-of-five makes it very, very difficult for me ‌to play them. Particularly if it's like the end stages ‍of a Grand Slam."

'ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION'

Djokovic pulled ‍out of the warm-up tournament in Adelaide in January but Australian Open tournament director Craig ‍Tiley moved quickly to douse any question over the 38-year-old turning up in Melbourne.

"He'll be here to play 100%," Tiley said at the weekend.

"Just out of the abundance of caution, he just wanted to make sure he's 100% ready. He's won this event 10 times. He wants to go for that record, and this ​is the place that he has the best chance of doing it."

Indeed, Tiley said, it was highly unlikely to be Djokovic's last Australian Open either, tallying with ⁠the player's own ambition to defend his Olympic title in Los Angeles in 2028.

Djokovic's battered body might have other plans, though, and his chances of going deep will probably rely on him staying healthy into the second week at Melbourne Park.

He managed ATP titles in Geneva and Athens last year to take his tally to 101 but his best efforts at the longer Masters events were a Miami final and a semi in Shanghai.

It will be his 21st appearance in the main draw at the Australian Open, a run that started as a qualifier in 2005 when he was thumped by eventual champion Marat Safin.

Melbourne's large community of fans with Serbian heritage will ensure he has plenty of support at a tournament where he has otherwise been more admired than loved.

There is no doubting he ‌will go down as one of the tournament's great champions, however, especially as his 10 triumphs came in the "Big Three" era when Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer were also at their peak.

Sports

Rooney Open to Man United Return if Carrick Named Interim Manager

10 January 2026, United Kingdom, Macclesfield: BBC Sport pundit Wayne Rooney pictured ahead of the England FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace at the Leasing.com Stadium. (dpa)
10 January 2026, United Kingdom, Macclesfield: BBC Sport pundit Wayne Rooney pictured ahead of the England FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace at the Leasing.com Stadium. (dpa)
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Rooney Open to Man United Return if Carrick Named Interim Manager

10 January 2026, United Kingdom, Macclesfield: BBC Sport pundit Wayne Rooney pictured ahead of the England FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace at the Leasing.com Stadium. (dpa)
10 January 2026, United Kingdom, Macclesfield: BBC Sport pundit Wayne Rooney pictured ahead of the England FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace at the Leasing.com Stadium. (dpa)

Wayne Rooney said he would be open to joining the coaching staff of former teammate Michael Carrick if he ​takes over as interim manager of Manchester United following Ruben Amorim’s departure last week.

Rooney made 559 appearances and scored 253 goals in a trophy-laden 13-year spell as a player at the club. He retired in 2021 and has had management ‌spells at ‌Derby County, DC United, ‌Birmingham ⁠City ​and ‌Plymouth Argyle.

Asked if he would consider joining Carrick's coaching department, the 40-year-old said on the BBC's The Wayne Rooney Show: "Of course I would. It's a no-brainer.

"I'm not begging a job here, by the way.

"Just so everyone knows, ⁠if I was asked to go in of ‌course I would. Appointing the ‍manager is the most ‍important thing."

Following his retirement from football ‍in 2018, Carrick stayed on at United as part of Jose Mourinho's coaching staff and was also part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's set-up ​when the Portuguese was sacked.

Carrick, who had a short stint as caretaker boss ⁠following Solskjaer's dismissal in 2021, spent two-and-a-half years as Middlesbrough manager from October 2022 to June 2025.

"I think it would be a really good fit," Rooney said.

"Michael loves the football club and would step in to do a job if he can.

"He lives and breathes that club - that's what the club needs."

United, who are seventh in the ‌Premier League, face Manchester City on Saturday.