Liverpool's Team Bus Blocked by Cars, Tires Slashed Ahead of Manchester United Match
May 13, 2021
The Liverpool team bus has been blocked on the road ahead of the club’s scheduled match against Manchester United at Old Trafford Thursday.
The match had already been rescheduled from its original May 2 date when Manchester United supporters held a protest against the club's ownership, with some fans breaking into Old Trafford stadium.
There was a heavy security presence outside the ground Thursday in preparation for more protests:
Daniel Taylor of The Athletic reported police have begun clearing the road where an estimated 50 fans had gathered.
The protests are directed towards the Glazer family, which have owned the Premier League club since 2005.
While the fanbase has long been frustrated with the club's ownership, United's brief inclusion in the European Super League—which was heavily criticized before the team withdrew from the league two days after the initial launch—was one of the factors behind the May 2 protest.
It saw the match against Liverpool postponed, creating a tight schedule for both clubs to complete before the end of the Premier League season on May 23.
This will be the third match in five days for Manchester United, which defeated Aston Villa Sunday before losing to Leicester City Tuesday with a lineup filled with mostly reserves.
"To play Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday is a crime," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said of the fixtures, per BBC Sport.
Liverpool at least has an extra day of rest before facing West Bromwich Albion in its next match Sunday.
Of course, if the game is postponed again on Thursday, there will be few opportunities to rearrange it.
The matchup is an important one in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League, with Liverpool seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with two games in hand.