The biggest mission in many sports is to overtake your main rival. In Formula One this aim might be literal, making the car faster and better to handle than the one you want to finish ahead of. In rugby, it might be to make your pack stronger and fitter than the current champions. In football, the demands of style and success are often focused on the actions of others.

They tell us different, football players and managers. They profess that they are concentrating on playing their ‘own game’, or ‘focusing on ourselves’. They say these things after studying videos of their opponents all week.

One of the most interesting battles to take the title in the world of football is the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United. The Red Devils have won a record 20 top-flight titles, but Liverpool’s incredible success in the extended 2019/20 season earned them a famous victory, their first in 30 years, to bring up their 19th.

How can United bridge the gap between the two sides – which last year stood at 33 points – to limit the chances of their North West rivals of making it to 21 titles before they do?