Even though both Manchester United and Liverpool were involved in EFL Cup semi-final matches this week, with a clash between the two sides at Old Trafford on Sunday looming, the fixtures felt somewhat insignificant.

Duels between these two massive rivals have felt diluted in recent years, with neither club in a position to challenge for top spot in the Premier League. The bitterness between the two outfits is what has been fueling the fixture, not any sense of a win in the game being a means to an end to silverware.

Now, with two effervescent figures on the sideline and a wide open Premier League title race as a backdrop, this contest between the two teams feels fully formed again. A win for United or for Liverpool would offer a springboard for either side between now and the end of the 2016-17 season.

United have a lot of ground to make up. They’re in sixth place in the table heading into this round of fixtures, trailing Chelsea by 10 points. But manager Jose Mourinho has moulded this set of players into a functioning setup that are beginning to rattle off wins in mechanical style; the influence of the Portuguese is unmistakeable.

Liverpool have looked like Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool for much of this season, playing some inventive and enterprising football on their way to second place. But with Sadio Mane away on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Senegal and no win in their last three games, there are some tiny signs the irrepressible momentum they harnessed earlier in the season is fading away.

Yet Klopp will see this trip to their biggest rivals as a chance to inject some impetus back into their title chase, which sees them five points back on Chelsea. However, after six consecutive league wins, Mourinho’s men will be ready to front up to the physical and technical challenge posed by the Reds.

Where to watch Man United-Liverpool on US TV and streaming

Date: Sunday, January 15, 2017
Kickoff: 11 a.m. (ET), 7 a.m. (PT)
TV: NBCSN and Telemundo
Streaming: NBC Sports App and Sling Blue (free 7-day trial)

Manchester United

Although Mourinho is said to have coveted the position at Old Trafford for a long time, early on in his United career he didn’t look like a man fulfilled. In press conferences he was dour, on the sidelines he was uninspired and his team operated in a similar style.

Yet slowly, Mourinho has crafted a formula that’s getting the best out of the many star players he has at his disposal at the club. United have been robust in defence, balanced in midfield and with so much attacking class to call upon, there’s a variety and freshness in the way in which the Red Devils seek to break down the opposition.

It’s been reminiscent of Mourinho’s more successful teams in the past; nothing overly flamboyant in the manner they’ve approached games, but an unbending aggression and a full conviction in the way they operate. Once his sides get on these sorts of runs, there’s an ominous aura about them.

Within the setup there have been some star performers for United as of late. The odd couple of Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo have forged an unexpectedly effective partnership at centre-back, while up top Zlatan Ibrahimovic continues to offer an immense presence, both as a target man and a goalscorer.

It’s in midfield where Mourinho really struggled to get things right earlier in the campaign, although now where the Red Devils are flourishing in this facet. The veteran instincts of Michael Carrick have underpinned Ander Herrera, who has been at the core of United’s best performances this season, and Paul Pogba, who is beginning to make those who doubted his talent look a little silly.

Aside from the triumph over Tottenham to kickstart this winning run, the Red Devils have not played another opponent they’d consider a genuine title during this upturn in form. Here we’ll see just how substantial the progress made has been.

Liverpool

If Liverpool are to go on and clinch an overdue top flight title, you sense that their trip to Old Trafford on Sunday will be definitive.

Not only would the Reds have ticked off one of the most difficult fixtures remaining on their 2016-17 schedule, but three points against United would see confidence pulse through the players. And although Klopp is a man that’s unwavering in his positive approach as a coach, you sense it’s a jolt that Liverpool could do with.

Southampton did a job on the Merseyside club in midweek. Without the penetration and verve provided by Mane on the right flank, the Reds were one-dimensional and cautious in their possession play; the hosts were also able expose vulnerabilities with their swift counter-attacking play.

There are plenty of positives for the team to cling to as they make the trip up the M62 on Sunday, though. While Mane’s absence is a blow, the return of Philippe Coutinho in midweek is huge and after a cameo against Saints, many Reds will want to see the Brazilian back in the fold at Old Trafford.

There’s clearly a concern about Liverpool in Mourinho’s mindset too. Earlier in the season he sent his United team to Old Trafford with the aim of stifling the hosts and while the likes of Ibrahimovic and Pogba were on the field, there was little showed in terms of attacking endeavor.

The Reds may not be in the same kind of sensational form as things stand, but they’ll be confident of testing a United back line that’s not been under duress as of late. With Chelsea to come at Anfield next month too, a result here could be the first step towards a vital January that shape’s the entire season for the team.

Predicted lineups:

Key Battle – Paul Pogba vs. Georginio Wijnaldum

When Pogba and Wijnaldum made their summer switches to their new teams, plenty suggested United and Liverpool had overpaid for the midfielders. However, both are proving crucial to their respective cause.

Pogba, in particular, has flourished during United’s winning run. Flanked by Herrera and supported by Carrick, the Frenchman has been afforded additional freedom to influence the game high up the pitch; fans are learning he’s not a midfielder that’ll boss matches from start to finish, but a footballer who can alter the course of a contest with isolated flashes of brilliance.

By contrast, Wijnaldum is a player that’s helping the Liverpool system flourish. At Newcastle United it was doubted whether the Dutchman had the discipline to operate as an orthodox central midfielder, but his physicality, energy and technical ability has been an understated part of the Reds setup.

Given the differing styles of each player and the close proximity in which they’ll operate to each other on Sunday, there should be plenty of head-to-head duels between two of the division’s standout midfielders this season.