Liverpool, now coached by former City boss Gareth Taylor, are in a mess: 11th in the table with just one point from seven matches. Chelsea are expected to handle this. But facing a side that desperate, in front of their own crowd, is exactly the sort of fixture that punishes any drop in standards.

Since the closure of the summer transfer window it has been a case of when, not if, Manchester United’s lack of squad depth would catch up with them.