Pulling apart Paul Pogba's performances against Liverpool
Paul Pogba playing for Manchester United, in the 2020/21 Premier League season, he will face Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday
Manchester United will look to beat a familiar foe in the FA Cup on Sunday, and all eyes will be on Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer's fantastic Frenchman.
For the second weekend running, Manchester United meet Liverpool on Sunday.
This time it's an Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round clash at Old Trafford, and Pogba will be looking to improve on recent performances against the men from Merseyside.
Paul Pogba looks a new man - or actually, the man we all knew he can be.
The Manchester United midfielder has been crucial to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sides' recent ascent to the top of the Premier League table amid rumours that these could be his final few months back at Old Trafford.
Having already doubled his top-flight goal tally from last term, Pogba remains a key cog to United's success when on song, shown by his Man of the Match display at Burnley last week.
With Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford dipping in form, the World Cup winner is currently the main man for the Red Devils.
If it wasn't for a point-blank save by Alisson, the Frenchman may have even been the matchwinner on Merseyside last weekend and have broken his goal scoring drought against Jurgen Klopp's team.
However, the former Juventus man and frequent headline grabber doesn't boast the best record against the Redmen, so let's take a look at his previous performances.
Pogba is determined to win silverware with Manchester United.
Ready to face off again on Sunday, United haven't won the FA Cup since the season before Pogba returned to Manchester, and knocking Liverpool out would be a statement of intent.
Stat attack
Plagued by injuries throughout his second stint at United, Pogba has only faced Liverpool four times since his return, with each occasion resulting in a draw.
Three of those games have been goalless, and in the sole non-stalemate, the 27-year-old superstar's contribution came on the wrong side - more on that later.
Solskjaer is yet to earn a win over Liverpool in his four meetings with them in the Old Trafford hot seat, with Sunday's tie potentially going a long way to both teams' trophy ambitions this season.
Klopp has praised Pogba plenty of times but the often dubbed 'problematic' £89million player is also yet to truly produce much against the Redmen as we'll see.
Five best matches
Manchester United 0-0 Liverpool
Premier League
February 24, 2019
Having missed both matches of the 2017/18 term and the first of 18/19 season, Pogba returned against Liverpool following a two-year absence for a game which most notably contained four first-half injuries.
Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and his replacement Jesse Lingard all left the pitch before the break, joining Roberto Firmino inside Old Trafford's treatment rooms.
Pogba had a good chance to break the deadlock after 51 minutes, diverting Ashley Young's cross straight at Alisson - a theme to watch for the weekend.
The Frenchman's 7.1 WhoScored rating is the best he boasts from this fixture to date, so we can class that as his most successful showing.
The result sent Liverpool top of the table but went down as two points dropped which, if they'd gained, would've crowned them champions a year earlier than in reality.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
Premier League
January 17, 2021
Billed as a big game in the title race, last weekend's let down saw Pogba take his place on the right wing in a difficult task for the Frenchman.
He continually looked for the diagonal pass to the likes of Fernandes, Rashford and compatriot Anthony Martial and occupied the opposition's marauding full-backs.
Pogba earned a 6.8 rating from WhoScored.com, and although that pales in comparison to the shifts United's defenders put in, was an influence on the game.
The 2013 Golden Boy winner won two aerial duels, completed one dribble and made one tackle - albeit nothing to write home about.
Pogba trying his luck at Anfield last Saturday.
In addition, his two shots were a joint game high with Fernandes, and the second saw Pogba's effort thwarted by the arms of Alisson in the 83rd minute.
Pogba might finally breach the Brazilian on Sunday, in a tie to be decided on the day with Doncaster Rovers or West Ham waiting in the Fifth Round.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
Premier League
October 17, 2016
This was Pogba's first outing against United upon returning to England, and it wasn't one for the history books; much to the disappointment of Sky Sports, who dubbed the showpiece 'Red Monday.'
The Frenchman boasted the third-worst pass accuracy on the pitch (71.1%) and attempted just 38 passes - less than Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius.
Standing at 6ft 3ins, it took until the 89th minute to win his first aerial duel in a dull affair.
Nevertheless, his quality can only be contained for so long, as he created Jose Mourinho's men's best chance of the match, swinging in an inch-perfect cross that Zlatan Ibrahimovic failed to convert with his head.
Even his manager was scathing of him post-match, having operated as the most advanced midfielder, saying: "Where Pogba was playing, I was expecting more penetration."
That was the tip of the iceberg for the pair's fractious relationship, which ironically came to an end after Mourinho left Pogba on the bench for his final match in charge, a 3-1 loss at Anfield in December 2018.
Manchester United 1-1 Liverpool
Premier League
January 15, 2017
A few months later, things didn't get any better for Pogba against his club's rivals.
A late Ibrahmovic equaliser sparred United's blushes on home turf, in an encounter in which Pogba gave Liverpool a helping hand - literally.
After missing an early opportunity in the first half, Pogba rose to head clear James Milner's corner ball but instead handballed it and allowed Milner to punish the Red Devils with 27 minutes on the clock.
The number six had little impact from then on, shooting off target again and being the most fouled player in the game, winning three free kicks.
It was around this time United supporters seriously began to question his impact on the big games but he would go on to score a deflected strike in the Europa League final, one of two trophies Mourinho & co. picked up that maiden campaign.
Liverpool 2-3 Manchester United
FA Youth Cup
March 13, 2011
Although Pogba has disappointed in dour senior draws, he was part of a winning United team in his teenage years but was one of four players to see red in a heated and sour cup tie.
Three travelling Red Devils fans were arrested, with six ejected during the topsy-turvy quarter final clash.
Police took action against reports of Heysel and Hillsborough chanting during the match, and the nastiness continued on the pitch as Adam Morgan's two goals sent United into the interval with work to do.
Defender Stephen Sama saw red for Liverpool in the second half and gave Pogba the chance to reduce the deficit from the spot but the Le Havre product was inexplicably given a second yellow card by referee David Coote (now a well-known name on Merseyside) for faking a shot at the end of his run up.
Pogba left the pitch before Larnell Cole scored a retake and Ravel Morrison's double meant the Red Devils advanced on their way to winning the tournament, with the likes of Sam Johnstone, Michael Keane and Jesse Lingard involved.
Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Conor Coady and Nottingham Forest's Tyler Blackett were also both given their marching orders amidst the comeback.
As Sir Alex Ferguson watched on in the stands, Pogba's error of judgement invertedly kickstarted a revival in front of 12,000 spectators at Anfield.
The rivalry will resume on Sunday in the senior FA Cup, before England's two most successful clubs meet again in league football on May 1.
Tip of the fixture
A third draw in four games between the serially successful outfits is priced at 5/2 on Paddy Power, and you can cover yourself for another 0-0 at 10/1.
