Liverpool vs Manchester United: Red Devils will not go 26 years without winning the title, says LVG

Louis van Gaal does not expect Manchester United's title aspirations go down the same way as Liverpool's, who have not won the Premier League title in over 26 years. The Red Devils take on the Reds at Anfield on Sunday (17 January), where a win will see them go six points clear of their most voracious rivals and give them a massive boost in their quest to land a top four spot.

United have not won the title since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, a paltry period compared to the drought Liverpool have faced over the years. The Reds have 18 league titles, having dominated the league in the 1970s and 1980s but have failed to exercise the same influence since then, cutting close a few times but never really managing to go the distance.

The Red Devils are also in a limbo in terms of their results, with managerial changes not helping their cause for continuity. Ferguson's successor David Moyes failed to live up to expectations and was sacked after it was mathematically impossible for United to secure a place in the top four in his opening season. Van Gaal steered them into fourth spot the next season but failed to get out of the group stages, facilitated by a streak of eight games without a win in all competitions.

United are unlikely to win the title this time around but Van Gaal believes that the setup is there for them to surge forward in the coming years, leaving Liverpool behind in the pecking order.

"The club is too big, too good and organised. We also have a great infrastructure and we are improving that every year. I am part of the transition, so I cannot imagine that [a lengthy title drought] shall happen with Manchester United," Van Gaal said, as quoted by the Mirror.

"But when it is happening to Liverpool, it can also happen to Manchester United. But I cannot imagine that, because we are in transition and we are going in the right way. Maybe it shall take a longer time, but I cannot imagine it will be the same for Manchester United."