Virgil van Dijk makes 'nervous' admission ahead of Liverpool vs Manchester United

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has called for a 'big atmosphere' when the Merseyside club take on Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.

Erik ten Hag's side travel to Anfield to take on Jurgen Klopp's men at the weekend, with United currently 10 points clear of Liverpool in the table. The Reds secured a 2-1 victory when the two sides met in the reverse fixture in August, with Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford on target at Old Trafford.

Since that encounter, the sides have experienced very different campaigns. Liverpool have endured a difficult few months and find themselves battling for fourth place, while they also exited both domestic cup competitions and face an uphill task to reach the next round of the Champions League.

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United, meanwhile, have been impressive since losing to Brighton and Brentford on the opening two weekends of the season. Ten Hag's side - who lifted the Carabao Cup on Sunday - can still win three more honours this term. Despite this, United will be well aware of the threat that Liverpool posses.

Klopp's men defeated Wolves 2-0 on Wednesday night, and centre-back Van Dijk has called on the club's fans to help them through the game against United following a 'nervous' atmosphere in midweek.

"I think we need a big atmosphere on Sunday," he told club media. "I think today obviously it was quite nervous and hopefully on Sunday we can get everyone in their best – including us, because we obviously have to do the hard work on the pitch against an in-form Man United. So, we will recover now and we will be ready for Sunday of course."

Liverpool boss Klopp also insisted that United can expect a tough match from