Liverpool have already had one fixture against a long-standing rival postponed this season, and there’s now a real risk of that happening again.
The Reds were meant to have faced Everton in the final league derby at Goodison Park in early December, but the game was called off on the norming of the match due to the adverse effects of Storm Darragh, with mid-February mooted as a provisional reschedule date.
Arne Slot’s side are now facing the strong possibility of déjà vu as the weather gods once again threaten to play havoc with our season.
As per Evening Standard on Saturday morning, fears are growing that tomorrow’s fixture between Liverpool and Manchester United will be postponed.
The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for Merseyside amid forecasts of ‘snow and freezing rain’, with public transport users advised to expect disruption. In some parts of the UK, snowfall as thick as 40cm has been predicted.
The amber warning is in place until 23:59 on Sunday, with the Met Office forecasting a temperature of 1° (feels like -2°) for 4:30pm tomorrow, which is when the game is scheduled to kick off.
Should the fixture go ahead, anyone travelling to Anfield is advised to bring warm clothing, food, water, blankets and ice scrapers for the journey.
At present, Liverpool have two fixtures per week through to mid-February, when they are due to have consecutive midweeks off, although one of those could be used for the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
In the all but guaranteed event that the Reds bypass the Champions League play-off round, the Man United game could theoretically be moved to next month if it doesn’t go ahead tomorrow, but that’d be ruled out if Ruben Amorim’s side are involved in the Europa League play-offs.
That’d duly see the fixture pushed back to April, when the possibility of further progression in Europe and the FA Cup could minimise the windows of opportunity for a reschedule date.
Liverpool fans and players will want to simply get the match played on Sunday as scheduled, and not just because they’re in flying form while the Red Devils are languishing in 14th place after losing five of their last six league games.
Of course, such arguments are superseded by the importance of people’s safety, and the relevant authorities might be left with no choice but to call off the game tomorrow if the weather is simply too severe to justify it going ahead, should the journey for staff, spectators and the two teams be deemed too treacherous.
Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that and that Anfield will be rocking to the din of 61,000 fans at 4:30pm on Sunday.
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