Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s in-form team have a chance to severely dent Liverpool’s chances on Sunday when they host Jurgen Klopp’s side in a fixture that has weighty historical importance to go with its significance in the title race.

The match is effectively Liverpool’s game in hand, with City, level on points at the top of the table after playing a game extra, facing Chelsea in the League Cup final on the same day.

But they face a rejuvenated United under interim boss Solskjaer, who has lifted them into the top four since he took over from the beleaguered Jose Mourinho, sacked in December following a 3-1 drubbing at Anfield.

In his spell of more than 26 years as manager at Old Trafford, Alex Ferguson argued more than once that a meeting with Liverpool, rather than City, was United’s true derby.

It is a feeling that still holds sway among the club’s fans, even though City have risen to win the Premier League three times since 2012 and have become the dominant force in Manchester.

“I think you have got to look at the rivalry,” said Rob Mager, a supporter for 30 years and the designer for the club fanzine “United We Stand”.

“United and Liverpool have been, historically, the two titans of English football. Over the years, Liverpool have been the more worthy rival than Manchester City and it’s been a case of familiarity breeding contempt.”

The antipathy between these two northwest cities, 56 kilometres (35 miles) apart, dates back at least to the economic rivalry inspired by the industrial revolution starting in the 18th century.

On the pitch, the mutual dislike between United and Liverpool has grown since the early 1960s, with the clubs taking turns to rule the English game — racking up 38 league titles and eight European Cups between them.

United have not won the Premier League since 2013 and are realistically out of the running this season but would still love to prevent Liverpool from becoming English champions for the first time since 1990.

– Tough task –

With United taking 25 points from a possible 27 since Solskjaer became their caretaker-manager, Klopp knows this is probably his side’s most difficult fixture of the run-in and believes the home team will be a different proposition from the team that surrendered at Anfield.

“It’s a big one and we know that it’s a difficult one as well,” he said, adding that United’s attacking players were brimming with confidence.

“They are in a really good moment, really good moment. They are physically strong, they defend well, they attack well.”

United have ambitions of their own to finish in the top four, a dream that appeared to have died during the troubled end of Mourinho’s reign.

“For them, it’s a big game, for us, it’s a big game,” said Solskjaer. “We want to be in the top four and we know how big this game is for Manchester United, for the staff, for the supporters.

“We’re looking forward to another challenge for this team because we want to build this team into one worthy of Manchester United’s history.

“It’s another big step if we can do that at home. Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea were all fantastic wins away — now we have to perform at home as well.”

Mager is tipping City to win the league, and would rather they were crowned champions.

“Liverpool are our one true rival,” he said. “City are more like an annoying little brother. If it was down to me, though, I’d rather neither of them won it. In this season’s title race, I would go for Spurs all day long.”

ONE: CALL TO GREATNESS featured 11 exciting bouts. In the main event, Thailand’s Stamp Fairtex defeated Janet Todd of the United States to capture the inaugural ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title.

In the main event, reigning ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion Stamp Fairtex of Thailand defeated Janet Todd of the United States via unanimous decision to also become the inaugural ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion. Stamp implemented a solid game plan as she pushed the pace and punished Todd with a punch-heavy attack. After five grueling rounds, Stamp was declared the winner on all three of the judges’ scorecards to make history as the first-ever two-sport World Champion in ONE Championship history.

Costa Rican submission specialist Ariel “Tarzan” Sexton grappled his way into the Semi-Finals of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix after submitting former ONE World Title contender Amir Khan of Singapore with a rear-naked choke in the third round. Sexton managed to survive a number of precarious situations and remained relentless in his pursuit to take the action to the ground. Early in the third round, Sexton easily took Khan down and immediately fastened the submission to force Khan to tap.

Turkey’s Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev punched his ticket into the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Semi-Finals after knocking out former ONE World Title challenger Ev “E.T.” Ting in just 25 seconds. One shot was all Arslanaliev needed, as he landed a massive left hook that immediately dropped Ting to the mat. “Dagi” finished the job with a series of thunderous ground strikes to earn the stunning knockout win.

Dutch kickboxing star Nieky “The Natural” Holzken was clinical in his approach as he dominated Italian striker Mustapha “Dynamite” Haida to earn a unanimous decision win. Holzken was a step ahead for the majority of the three-round contest, catching Haida with precise punches and well-placed kicks. Haida attempted to mount a comeback late in the match, but his rally came up short, as Holzken was hailed victorious on all of the judges’ scorecards.

Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke of Thailand avenged a prior loss to Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado, defeating the Filipino via technical knockout in the second round. It was an exciting opening round between Dejdamrong and Miado, as the two strawweight contenders traded ferocious combinations. It was all Dejdamrong in the second round however, as the Thai legend stuffed a takedown from Miado and proceeded to unload a barrage of unanswered knees to earn the stoppage victory.

Thailand’s Petchdam Petchyindee Academy turned in a tremendous striking performance to defeat Masahide “Crazy Rabbit” Kudo of Japan in a ONE Super Series kickboxing contest. Operating behind his southpaw stance, Petchdam torched Kudo with his piston-like left roundhouse kicks right off the bat. The Muay Thai star fished for the finish in the second round, knocking out Kudo with a solid left straight.

China’s Zhang Chenglong emerged triumphant against Kong Sambo of Cambodia by way of split decision. In an exciting three-round affair, the two world-class strikers stood toe-to-toe and went back-and-forth as they traded blistering combinations. In the end, Zhang did enough to earn the decision on two of the three judges’ scorecards to come out victorious in his maiden ONE Championship appearance.

Regian “The Immortal” Eersel of the Netherlands authored a jaw-dropping victory in his second appearance on the ONE Super Series stage, defeating Nigeria’s Anthony “The Assassin” Njokuani. Eersel patiently waited for the right moment to pounce on his hard-hitting counterpart. When he saw a good opening to strike in the second round, Eersel delivered a hard right hand and a follow-up knee to the midsection to send Njokuani to the canvas. Njokuani failed to answer the count of ten, compelling the referee to halt the bout.

Ayaka Miura of Japan left a lasting impression in her ONE Championship debut, defeating former ONE World Title contender Laura “La Gladiadora” Balin of Argentina. Miura showed off her impressive grappling prowess as she locked in a wrenching Americana to force her opponent to tap in just under two minutes, announcing her arrival in the talent-filled women’s strawweight division.

Japanese legend Masakazu “Ashikan Judan” Imanari marched to a highlight-reel victory early in the evening, submitting “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il of South Korea in just 53 seconds. Imanari coerced Kwon to wave the white flag with his patented heel hook, registering his 27th career win by way of submission.

Setting the tone for an action-packed evening was Indonesian standout Rudy “The Golden Boy” Agustian’s quick work of Cambodian striker Khon Sichan. Driven to claim his third consecutive victory in the promotion, Agustian caught Sichan with a rear-naked choke midway through the first frame. With Sichan in no position to escape, Agustian applied pressure on the submission and forced the tap.

Official results for ONE: CALL TO GREATNESS

ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship bout: Stamp Fairtex defeats Janet Todd by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 5 rounds

ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarter-Final bout: Ariel Sexton defeats Amir Khan by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:13 minutes of round 3

ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarter-Final bout: Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev defeats Ev Ting by Knockout (KO) at 0:25 minutes of round 1

ONE Super Series Kickboxing Lightweight bout: Nieky Holzken defeats Mustapha Haida by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Catch Weight bout (56.9kgs): Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke defeats Jeremy Miado by TKO (Strikes) at 2:38 minutes of round 2

ONE Super Series Kickboxing Flyweight bout: Petchdam Petchyindee Academy defeats Masahide Kudo by Knockout (KO) at 0:35 minutes of round 2

ONE Super Series Kickboxing Bantamweight bout: Zhang Chenglong defeats Kong Sambo by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds

ONE Super Series Kickboxing Lightweight bout: Regian Eersel defeats Anthony Njokuani by Knockout (KO) at 1:03 minutes of round 2

Women’s Strawweight bout: Ayaka Miura defeats Laura Balin by Submission (Americana) at 1:13 minutes of round 1

Bantamweight bout: Masakazu Imanari defeats Kwon Won Il by Submission (Heel Hook) at 0:53 minutes of round 1

Flyweight bout: Rudy Agustian defeats Khon Sichan by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:14 minutes of round 1

Instead it is world No 67 Jenny Shin, who recovered from a sluggish start to shoot a second-round 68 and take a one-stroke advantage into the weekend at Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course.

The 26-year-old from Seoul was one over par by the fifth before she fired five birdies to become sole leader on 11 under-par-133 on a scorching day.

“I haven’t been in contention for a while, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow (Saturday),” said Shin, whose last top-10 finish was equal sixth at the Texas Classic last May and whose only LPGA title to date was the 2016 Volunteers of America Texas Shootout.

“I’ll probably get some rest, hydrate and fuel up a little bit. I think the next two days will be more about my physical ability than my mental ability. I’ll focus on that a little bit more.”

Lizette Salas 

American Lizette Salas shot a bogey-free 68 to be one back with Australian Lee Minjee and overnight leader Ji. Salas, 29, said she was happy to be tied in second place and added that she had spent a lot of time in the gym during the off season.

“I’m not a rookie anymore, I’m a vet, so it’s time to get serious. I’ve found I can more aggressive with the driving game and things are starting to pay off,” she said.

World No 4 Lee carded a second-round 69, could have tied the lead but a poor approach shot that slipped off the greens saw her finish with a bogey.

“I made two bogeys today, and they were my first two bogeys of the tournament. I’m hitting it pretty solid, and hopefully I can get a couple more putts to drop tomorrow,” she said.

Two-time champion Amy Yang of South Korea fired a 66 to be two off the pace, alongside American Austin Ernst and Amy Olson, with another American, Danielle Kang, one further back on 136.

Moriya Jutanugarn

Thai No 2 Moriya Jutanugarn set herself up for a weekend challenge, after shooting a 68 to be four strokes behind the leader with Spaniard Carlota Ciganda, Australian Katherine Kirk and American Ryan O’Toole.

“I was trying to and be patient. I knew I had to be patient and keep trying to score,” said the world No 18, one of the two Thais who came closest at winning this tournament when she finished joint second last year. The other was her younger sister Ariya, in 2013

“Everybody will go out and try to win the tournament,” added Moriya, the 24-year-old one-time LPGA winner. “I will just want keep working on what I have to do, be patient, and commit to what I want to be on the golf course. Just be the best I can be.”

Ariya Jutanugarn 

World No 1 Ariya bounced back from a disastrous front nine – she had back-to-back double-bogeys on the sixth and seventh holes – to shoot four birdies at the back nine for an even-par 72 that laves her seven behind Shin.

“It was hitting it everywhere on the front nine and had two double-bogeys and a bogey,” said Ariya, who is sticking to her decision not to use any drivers this week.

“Then on the back nine I had to be committed to my shots and I started getting better and made some putts.”

Two other Thais, Pannarat Thanapolnoonyaras (71) and Pornanong Phatlum (73) stand on 143 and 144, 10 and 11 shots off the pace respectively.

A year after crowds flocked to watch her at the Honda LPGA Thailand, Chinese pin-up Muni He is back at the Siam Country Club Old Course, as charming as ever but with improved quality in her game.

The 19-year-old is now a fully fledged member of the LPGA after finishing tied for 27th at the 2018 LPGA Q-School, which earned her a full card for the 2019 LPGA season.

The Chinese teenager, who received a sponsors’ invitation into the tournament last year, has proved over the last 12 months that she now has the game to compete at the highest level after clinching her maiden tour title in Ohio last July.

“I totally am [surprised by her popularity in Thailand] but it’s so great, so amazing to be able to interact with the fans here and on social media as well,” said He, who comes from Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan.

Her ability to garner universal admiration is understandable – even in the scorching heat or after she has failed to make a shot she remains unfalteringly pleasant to the fans, never failing to offer an infectious smile.

“I enjoy the game and the challenge, no matter if I play well or I have a bad day,” she said. “It’s always the chase. I’m really thankful for people liking me and coming up to me. I can give nothing but friendliness back.”

At the halfway stage of this year’s LPGA Thailand, Muni stands on three-under-par 141 and is tied for … a dramatic improvement on last year, when she finished bottom of the field.

“Overall I think my game has improved a lot from last year. I hope I can put up some more good scores over the weekend,” said He, who spent two semesters at the University of Southern California before turning pro in December 2017.

“I really wanted to come back to Thailand again this year to see how much I’ve improved. I’ve been working really, really hard and I know my game has improved.”

Despite her satisfaction with the last 12 months, He feels no pressure to excel in her first year on the LPGA Tour and points out she still needs time to be battle-hardened.

“As a tour rookie, I don’t set super high goals,” she added. “I still need to learn more from the professional players in order to become a more competitive.”

Like many other players, He is also enjoying her return to Thailand because it gives her the opportunity to indluklge in the Kingsom’s world-famous cuisine.

One of her favourite dishes is som tum (spicy papaya salad), which originates in Isaan province and tallies perfectly with her background – Sichuan is renowned for its spicy style of Chinese cooking.

“I love anything spicy,” says He. “The little red chili peppers here are really delicious and I add them to everything.”

Asked if she has special someone in her life, He preferred to keep it a secret. But she never minds to give tips about her dream man.

“He has to be someone who is very nice and caring. He has to like me for me. Someone who can make me laugh and has a good sense of humour,” she added.

    It means the club — who immediately said they would appeal the decision — will be unable to make signings until the end of January next year.

“The disciplinary committee sanctioned Chelsea with a ban on registering new players at both national and international level for the next two complete and consecutive registration periods,” FIFA said in a statement.

In addition, Chelsea were fined 600,000 Swiss francs ($600,000, 530,000 euros) and given a period of 90 days to regularise the situation of the minor players concerned.

    The ban does not prevent players being released by the club and it does not apply to Chelsea’s women’s and futsal teams.

Chelsea have been given three days to appeal against FIFA’s decision, which could prove highly damaging, for example preventing the club from signing a replacement for Eden Hazard if the star player leaves the club.

“Chelsea FC categorically refutes the findings of the FIFA disciplinary committee and will therefore be appealing the decision,” said a statement on the club’s website.

“Initially, Chelsea FC was charged… in relation to 92 players,” it added. “We welcome the fact that FIFA has accepted that there was no breach in relation to 63 of these players, but the club is extremely disappointed that FIFA has not accepted the club’s submissions in relation to the remaining 29 players.”

The move follows a FIFA probe into Chelsea’s signing of foreign under-18 players, including the club’s former forward Bertrand Traore, a Burkina Faso international who now plays for French Ligue 1 club Lyon.

Traore signed professional forms for Chelsea in 2013 at the age of 18 but was not registered until January the following year.

French website Mediapart, quoting documents from Football Leaks, reported that FIFA found evidence that Chelsea had supplied misleading information about Traore’s signing and that he had made more than 20 appearances for the club at different age levels despite not being registered by the Football Association (FA).

FIFA said Friday it was also fining the Football Association 510,000 Swiss francs for breaking the rules on signing minors.

The world governing body gave the FA a period of six months to update its processes concerning international transfers and the registration of minors.

The FA responded on Twitter, saying: “The FA notes the decision of the FIFA disciplinary committee published today. The FA has cooperated fully with FIFA’s investigations, although we have raised some concerns with FIFA regarding its disciplinary processes.

“The FA intends to appeal the decision. We will however continue to work with FIFA and Chelsea in a constructive manner to address the issues which are raised by this case.”