Liverpool v Manchester United preview: Can Klopp take Reds top in front of The Kop?

Considering how high-profile Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp are in English football, the Reds' Premier League season has been pretty low key so far. Their relatively slow start to the season saw to that.

But they entertain Manchester United on Monday with things looking very different than they did in late August: four consecutive league wins have come just as Manchester City and Tottenham have faltered. And somewhat incredibly, they know that a win on Monday night will see them join City and Arsenal at the top of the table.

A three-goal win would put them top of the pile on goal difference – and given the morale boost they'd get from such a result against Jose Mourinho's United, it would also give them a huge momentum boost.

There may not be any "great European nights at Anfield" to look forward to this season. But the stage couldn't be set for a bigger Premier League night at Anfield on Monday. What's more, United will be only too aware of all this – and all the more desperate to stop their arch-rivals getting one over on them, while simultaneously knowing that a two-goal win would lift them into fourth place above Liverpool. Monday night's crackerjack match just looks like getting bigger and bigger…

WARNING TO FANS: OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOUR WILL MEAN PROSECUTION

Manchester United and Liverpool have tried to defuse any potential conflicts at their Premier League match on Monday by asking fans to refrain from “offensive and discriminatory behaviour”.

The rivalry between the clubs is one of the most fiercely contested in world football and matches have been littered with unsavoury incidents in the past.

Last season, both clubs were fined by UEFA for crowd disturbances and supporters engaging in illicit chanting when they met in the last 16 of the Europa League.

The chants aimed at Liverpool supporters concerned around the Heysel and Hillsborough stadium tragedies while those directed at United fans referenced the Munich air disaster in 1958.

With all that in mind the clubs issued a joint statement ahead of the game, that kicks of at 8pm at Anfield. It read: “Both clubs, their supporters and football fans around the world are looking forward to this historic and passionate match between two of the sport's biggest and oldest rivals.

"There is great rivalry between our fans and we ask all supporters to be respectful and help eradicate all forms of offensive and discriminatory behaviour from the game.

"If any supporters are found to be engaged in any form of offensive or discriminatory behaviour by stewards or via CCTV then they will be immediately removed from the stadium, risk arrest, prosecution and be reported in accordance with the Club's ground regulations."

TEAM NEWS
Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana is a doubt for Monday's match, the England international having sustained a groin strain against at Swansea before the international break. Georginio Wijnaldum may miss out with a hip problem. Defenders Nathaniel Clyne and Dejan Lovren are both fit despite recent problems.

Manchester United defender Phil Jones will be missing on Merseyside but Mourinho otherwise reported a fully-fit squad after the international break, and he took aim at those players who spent the two weeks recuperating from injury on holiday rather than answering their country's call.

KLOPP'S CALL FOR CALM
"You should not ignore the special circumstances of a game like this. You have to be ready. You need to know that for Man United, this game is more important than for another team that faces us. But in a lot of situations you need to be really emotional but cool, really direct but patient.

"Creating a special atmosphere is important. That's the challenge for us, take the special things about this game then put them in our usual and normal style. I really expect a special atmosphere and you have to use that....

"The situations [of the two teams] are not that different. What I heard was you think our situation is different and that means we are in a good moment and they are not in a good moment but I can't see a big difference with three points [separating the two sides].

"[Ibrahimovic and Pogba] are really world-class players. When you have them in your team, your team is not worse than last year for sure. This is a really strong side coming to Liverpool. They really know about football, they are experienced, cool in the right moments.

"They don't need the world-class performance to win a game. That's the biggest difference between the experienced and the less-experienced teams. It's more really about how they play and where the spaces are that we can use and the specific things they do in special situations."

JOSE LOVES SPECIAL ANFIELD ATMOSPHERE
"I always like to play at Anfield. I won many times there, I also lost. I won big matches, I lost big matches. I cannot say I like to go there because I'm always successful because it's not true. I like to go there, I like the atmosphere.

"Being Man United manager obviously means something more because we cannot compare the historical rivalry between my previous club and Liverpool, Man United and Liverpool.

"In the end, it's just a big match. It can be comparable to Milan v Inter Milan, (Real) Madrid v Barcelona, maybe Porto v Benfica, maybe comparable to one of these matches...

"Obviously I never played this match but I played many times against Liverpool, United. I understand the dimension of the clubs and now I understand better the history between the rivals.

"The season for me is not about the Anfield match though, or Old Trafford in January. It's about many matches."

MOURINHO'S MATCH OFFICIAL MOANING
"I have my view but I understood and I learned, if you want to call it, a lesson by being so many times punished by some words so I don't want to say anything about it," Mourinho said of the choice of Greater Manchester's Anthony Taylor as the referee - a comment he immediately negated with his follow-up statement.

"I think Mr Taylor is a very good referee but I think somebody with intention is putting such a pressure on him that I feel that it will be difficult for him to have a very good performance."