Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United: Barclays Premier League - as it happened

Full time: Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United

Manchester United claim the ultimate smash and grab as Wayne Rooney's goal upsets Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, who are now eight points adrift of th top four. David de Gea kept the Reds at bay for long periods before United's only shot on target beat Simon Mignolet. Louis van Gaal's side into fifth.

Well that is all we have time for on this Premier League live text. Switch over to Stoke vs Arsenal to follow that game, but until next time goodbye.

Which comes to nothing as Smalling heads clear in front of De Gea.

Silly handball from Juan Mata gives Liverpool a free-kick in a dangerous position..

Three added minutes at Anfield.

Liverpool players getting in each others way. Can breaks through and his pull back finds both Benteke and Milner. Benteke tries to find the England man who shoots goalwards but it only catches Firmino in an offside position.

Liverpool have offered very little since the Rooney goal, almost having the life sucked out of them by the sucker-punch. Benteke on but they have not yet hit to the Belgian. Time running out.

Christian Benteke on for Kolo Toure for the final 10 minutes. Liverpool go to sleep from a set-piece again and they are punished, but having made all the running is there a late equaliser in this game for them? Not long to find out.

Goal: Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United (Wayne Rooney)

Would you believe it. Juan Mata crosses from the left, Fellaini beats a host of Liverpool defenders to the header the ball bounces off the crossbar and Rooney smashes the loose ball home. So this is what a goal feels like. Liverpool will probably feel hard done by.

Sakho plays a crossfield pass which floats aimlessly out of play and with 15 minutes to go we are no closer to an opening goal or anything remotely like one. Mark Clattenburg has the power to stop this, and it sounds like a very attractive proposition. Liverpool make their first change as Jordon Ibe comes on for Adam Lallana - who has had the best chance in this game for me.

Surprise not to have seen a single change from Liverpool in this game, as United make their third. Memphis Depay on for Ander Herrera, a change which is met by a chorus of boos from the away fans who are not impressed. You can understand why.

David de Gea to the rescue again, saving first from Can's effort from range and then Firmino's follow-up. Mata on for the almost anonymous Jesse Lingard.

The ball sits up for Matteo Darmian and he smashes one over the Liverpool crossbar. It is times like these we look to either bench for some inspiration. Juan Mata is warming up and having scored twice here last season, would surely be the natural change for the visitors. For Liverpool, Christian Benteke has had a rough time under Jurgen Klopp but must surely be used here.

You may have noticed via your Twitter feeds or split screens that Real Madrid are 4-0 up against Sporting Gijon. We could do with some of those goals here. An hour gone and neither team have come remotely close.

Anything United do good in an attacking sense is coming from Martial who evades Henderson and shoots wide. Shot of another United player in the crowd with the away fans, Marcos Rojo, who is watching the game with Michael Carrick and Phil Jones today.

Best chance of the game falls to Liverpool. Emre Can is released in the left channel of the penalty area but De Gea deflects the ball behind. Another big save from the United 'keeper.

Half a chance for United at the start of the half as Wayne Rooney nipped ahead of Nathaniel Clyne but after catching Kolo Toure off-balance and feeding Martial, the Frenchman is disposed amid a crowd of Liverpool bodies.

Manchester United failed to score in the first half for the 15th time in 22 games at Anfield this afternoon, and they kick-off the second half. Both teams unchanged.

Half time: Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

A 45 minutes which has hardly betrayed the current standard of these two sides. Ninth hosting sixth the game was billed as before kick-off and it has turned out that way, with a disjointed ugly encounter with few chances a little quality. That highlight video shown before the game? That first half won't need to be included in it. Do better next time.

Anthony Martial burst down the left as he has done a few times in this after but his shot is blocked by Sakho. Easily United's best player of a poor first half.

Ashley Young's afternoon looks over as the full-back goes down with a hip injury. He tries to continue but just four minutes before half time he is replaced by Cameron Borthwick-Jackson. Matteo Darmian goes to right-back.

Bit of life to the game now and could Liverpool have had a penalty? Mignolet sets the home side rolling from a quick throw and the ball is eventually played to Firmino, who is shoved off the ball by Martial. Looked like he was outmuscled by the United forward on reflection.

Corner for United, their first of the game. Sakho heads away at the near post. That followed United's best move of the game as Rooney crossed for Fellaini, whose back header hit Milner and went out of play. The lanky midfielder wanted a penalty, but there was nothing doing there.

The ball seems to be following Jordan Henderson around and he again takes aim, this time from 25 yards with a dipping volley but it flies wide. De Gea not tested. United looking all over the place at the back however while lacking any focus going forward. A worry for them.

Manchester United with their first effort in anger, but Ander Herrera slices his effort horribly wide. Liverpool then string together the best move of the game, with Lucas, Lallana and Henderson all involved, before the latter slashes wide. Better.

First genuine attack from either side comes from Liverpool - a belated move in this game which has lacked any quality - and ends with Henderson's shot being blocked by Smalling. The home side doing much of the running but not getting much encouragement.

One common theme with Liverpool-United fixtures is while they are competitive and frenetic, they are not always laced with quality and that is how the opening 20 minutes has played out. Only one effort on target in the opening exchanges and little else to report bar the two rounds of feuding between Lucas and Fellaini.

Lucas and Fellaini come together again and it really is handbags at dawn, with the Liverpool midfield accusing the United man of kicking out. Replays suggest, as first thought, that there was little in the incident and referee Mark Clattenburg talks to both before sending them on their way. Feisty start, like you'd expect anything else.

Two chances in as many minutes for Liverpool, created by two fabulous passes from their Brazilian duo. First Lucas plays the ball over the top to Lallana who heads goalwards as De Gea comes to meet him and a smart stop keeps the scores level, before Firmino shoots wide. Now the goalscorer from midweek is into the action again, playing a raking cross-field pass to Milner who allows the ball to bounce away from him before thrashing over.

Lucas Leiva bundles Marouane Fellaini to the floor - not a sentence I expected to be writing and the Belgian is really flattened before receiving treatment from the United medical staff. he initially look ok to continue.

Phil Jones is out with an ankle injured today but that has not stopped him travelling to Anfield, with the television cameras having picked out the United defender standing in the away end supporting the club. Nice touch, that.

This is of course Jurgen Klopp's first meeting with Manchester United, having already rejected an offer from Old Trafford to take over. Nice tidy start to the game, with the visitors showing plenty of early intent.

Under way at Anfield.

Teams in the tunnel at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp is no stranger to German derbies but this might be a different animal for him this afternoon; the expectation of the fans will come as no surprise for him though.

Sky Sports currently showing a montage of previous Liverpool-United clashes with some standout moments from down the years. This afternoon promises to be very much the same, even if the title or European places are directly up for grabs.

Jurgen Klopp on Sky Sports: "We have to think about how we can react to the game. We have Jordon [Ibe] on the bench to bring on with fresh legs and the same with Joe allen and that is important for us and Lucas is in good shape. It gives Henderson and Emre more freedom. We have to play football and if possible we have to show dominance. we know what we have to show our supporters."

Louis van Gaal on Sky Sports: "It is dependable on the shape of Liverpool [how United play]. It is not the same as Newcastle United. How are we in the match because Liverpool are a more pressing team and they take a lot of risk. They have changed a striker for a midfielder. We have to see how the match is developing.

Having watched that De Gea interview with Sky Sports, it seems very clear there was an order from the club not to ask questions regarding Real Madrid's attempts to sign the player in the summer. The saga was totally ignored.

De Gea adds: "I feel really happy, strong and I believe in my team."

David de Gea's on Sky Sports: "I dream to be the number one [in the world]. [Van der Sar and Schmeichel] were the great goalkeepers in the Premier League and legends at this club."

Who is today's game bigger for do we feel? Liverpool are ninth, eight points adrift of fourth place Tottenham, while United are five away from Spurs. You think it is a must win for the Reds, but Louis van Gaal - as the media have suggested - can ill-afford another harrowing defeat.

Despite scoring the late equaliser against Arsenal in midweek, Joe Allen is overlooked for a starting place as Lucas comes into a midfield which presumably will see James Milner move forward alongside Firmino and Adam Lallana.

We give the team news the big billing and what do both teams do? There is just one change between them from their 3-3 draws to Arsenal and Newcastle respectively.

For Liverpool, that means Kolo Toure and Mamadou Sakho are at the centre of the defence while in attack Roberto Firmino is preferred to Christian Benteke. The only alteration sees Lucas Leiva come in for Jordon Ibe.

United have not made a single change from the draw at Newcastle. Juan Mata sits out again despite his outstanding goal in this fixture last season while Bastian Schweinsteiger is among those who is out.

Teams:

Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Toure, Sakho, Moreno, Lucas, Henderson, Can, Milner, Lallana, Firmino.

Manchester United: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Blind, Darmian, Schneiderlin, Fellaini, Martial, Herrera, Lingard, Rooney

The crunch clash at Anfield is not the only game going on in the Premier League this afternoon, with Stoke City hosting Arsenal at the Britannia Stadium, with Arsene Wenger's side able to go to the top of the table again with a point. As history tells us however, that is easier said than done.

Such is the enormity of today's game we have started this afternoon's blog slightly early to give the match a proper build up. We're expecting the teams around 1pm, so around 20 minutes. So don't go anywhere.

Liverpool have none of their throng of injured players back fit, but Dejan Lovren and Daniel Sturridge are close to recovering.

It is similar news for United as Bastian Schweinsteiger, Michael Carrick and Phil Jones are all still missing.

Teams on the way from Anfield but let's have a look at the team news ahead of the game...

English football's most successful clubs collide once again in one of the standout fixtures of any Premier League season. But to suggest this is a clash to compare with others gone before would be a stretch, with this game seeing fifth travel to ninth it can hardly be build as the titanic battle that it has previously been. Both Liverpool and Manchester United were involved in entertaining 3-3 draws in midweek and we would be forgiven for expecting something similar given how awkward both defences have been of late. Team news and all the build up on the way.