Evans Discounts Form Ahead Of Liverpool

Manchester United defender Jonny Evans believes the formbook will not be a factor in Sunday’s Barclays Premier League encounter with historic rivals Liverpool, despite the contrasting fortunes of both teams in recent weeks.

United have recorded five consecutive wins over Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Hull City, Stoke City and Southampton while the Merseysiders have stumbled both at home and abroad, most recently exiting the UEFA Champions League following a 1-1 draw with FC Basel on Tuesday.

As such, Louis van Gaal’s men are widely considered favourites to win this weekend’s instalment of English football’s greatest rivalry. But while guesting on MUTV’s Thursday Focus programme alongside host and wife Helen Evans, the Northern Ireland international was keen not to underestimate a club that finished second in the table last term.

“We are in a bit of form in terms of results and Liverpool are not but all form goes out of the window in these games and anything can happen,” Evans explained. “I haven't seen many of their games this season, but I watched a bit of the one in the Champions League the other night against Basel.

“Obviously, they were under a wee bit of pressure to get a big result that they didn't get in the end. Luis Suarez has gone and maybe they aren't as strong, but they’ve still got some fantastic players who can still create magic on the pitch and that is something we will have to be careful of.”

Evans suffered a fractured foot during the 5-3 defeat at Leicester City in September and had only featured in a couple of Reserves-level fixtures since, before an early injury to Chris Smalling at Southampton prompted his return to first-team duties. While it was a challenge to play in such a frantic environment, Evans was relieved to be back after a “frustrating” spell on the sidelines: “I obviously didn’t start the game but I came on after 15 minutes, so it was good to get a run out and it was a tough game as well.

"It was very fast paced and I certainly felt that in the first 10 minutes. It has been a frustrating time for me with injuries so it was nice to get back involved. I had a few Reserves games leading up to it, just building up slowly and the manager wanted me to do that. I think he wants everyone to make sure that there is no chance of breaking down again. It was nice to get back involved, I didn't get the 90 minutes but it was still quite a challenge for me physically.”

Evans also explained why he hopes his presence in the side might replicate the positive memories of his days of playing alongside a certain United legend. “I remember whenever I was in the Reserves, we had a period when Gary Neville was coming back from injury and he played. It gave everyone a lift and we were always trying to learn from him, so maybe, with me being there, the lads might say that as well.”