After the shock exit from the Champions League, Liverpool will be heading to Old Trafford tomorrow to face Manchester United in the Lancashire derby.

For the neutrals, the United-Liverpool clash is one of the top fixtures of the season as the two rivals head into the match in contrasting moods.

United are on a roll as on Monday they bagged their fifth successive league victory after defeating Southampton 2-1 at St Mary’s Stadium to move up to third in the standings.

The Reds, 10th in the table, dropped two other priceless points at home to Sunderland last Saturday. But the worse was yet to come for Brendan Rodgers’s men as on Tuesday they could not go beyond a 1-1 draw against Basel to miss on a place in the knock-out stages of UEFA’s elite competitions for clubs.

Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre has confessed he wished the club’s players would stop using social media following the Mario Balotelli controversy.

Defender Kolo Toure, meanwhile, is confident that his Liverpool will make up lost ground in the Premier League to finish among the top four at the end of the season.

The outcome of the last ten Premier League matches between United and Liverpool at Old Trafford speaks loudly in favour of the home side, winning eight times to the Reds’ two.

2014: United-Liverpool 0-3
2013: United-Liverpool 2-1
2012: United-Liverpool 2-1
2010: United-Liverpool 3-2
2010: United-Liverpool 2-1
2009: United-Liverpool 1-4
2008: United-Liverpool 3-0
2006: United-Liverpool 2-0
2006: United-Liverpool 1-0
2004: United-Liverpool 2-1

Chelsea’s unbeaten run in this season’s Premier League came to an end last weekend after they went down at Newcastle 2-1.

The Premier League leaders, who wrapped up their group commitments in the Champions League with a 3-1 win over Sporting Lisbon this week, will be looking to embark on another strong run when they host Hull City at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.

Manchester City, buoyed by their qualification to the Champions League last 16 after beating Roma 2-0, will look to keep the pressure on Chelsea when they play guests to lowly Leicester at the King Power Stadium.

The Citizens are in hot form in the league, having won five and drawn once from their last six matches.

Sam Allardyce’s West Ham strengthened their high position in the standings when coming from behind to beat Swansea at Upton Park in their last outing.

The Hammers have another tricky test today when they play at Sunderland who bounced back from defeat to Manchester City to keep a clean sheet against Liverpool and take a point from a difficult venue.

Following their home loss to Manchester United, Southampton will be on their travels to face Burnley.

Arsene Wenger will be eager to see his Arsenal side producing a fine fare and silencing the critics when they host Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium in today’s evening kick-off.

The Gunners were booed off the pitch after a 3-2 defeat at Stoke but on Wednesday Arsenal hit back strongly to beat Galatasaray 4-1 in the Champions League.

Wenger, however, be wary of the threat posed by Newcastle after the Magpies’ fine win over Chelsea last week.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew believes both him and owner Mike Ashley deserve praise for willpower and sheer determination, especially given the calls for the manager to be sacked earlier in the season.

Fixtures and forecast

Premier League
Arsenal-Newcastle (18:30) - X
Burnley-Southampton - 2
Chelsea-Hull City - 1
Crystal Palace-Stoke City - 1
Leicester City-Man. City - 2
Sunderland-West Ham - 2
West Brom-Aston Villa - 1

Tomorrow:
Man. United-Liverpool (14:30) - X
Swansea-Tottenham (17:00) - 2

Monday:
Everton-QPR (21:00) - 1

Standings
Chelsea 36; Manchester City 33; Manchester United 28; West Ham United 27; Southampton 26; Arsenal, Newcastle 23; Swansea 22; Liverpool, Tottenham 21; Aston Villa 19; Everton, Stoke City 18; Sunderland 15; Crystal Palace, West Bromwich Albion, Queens Park Rangers 14; Hull City 13; Burnley 12; Leicester City 10.

The Championship
Birmingham-Reading - X
Bolton-Ipswich - X
Bournemouth-Cardiff - 1
Brentford-Blackburn - 1
Charlton-Blackpool - 1
Leeds-Fulham - X
Middlesbrough-Derby (13:15) - X
Norwich-Huddersfield - 1
Rotherham-Nottm Forest - X
Sheffield Wed.-Wolves - 1
Watford-Wigan - 1

League One
Bristol City-Crawley - 1
Chesterfield-Bradford - 1
Colchester-Rochdale - X
Doncaster-Gillingham - 1
Fleetwood-Sheffield Utd - X
Leyton Orient-Peterborough - 1
Notts County-Swindon - 2
Oldham-Yeovil - 1
Port Vale-Coventry - 1
Preston-MK Dons - 2
Scunthorpe-Crewe - 1
Walsall-Barnsley - 1

League Two
Burton-Hartlepool - 1
Cambridge-Shrewsbury - 2
Dagenham-Tranmere - X
Exeter-Carlisle - 1
Mansfield-Cheltenham - 1
Morecambe-Luton - 2
Newport-Stevenage - 1
Northampton-Plymouth - X
Oxford-Bury - X
Portsmouth-Accrington - 1
Wycombe-Southend -X
York-Wimbledon - 1

Hot four
Bournemouth
Charlton Athletic
Norwich City
Watford