Liverpool host Manchester United on Sunday looking to record a fifth successive Premier League win for the first time since May 2009

The Red Devils' win at Anfield last season followed four unsuccessful attempts, while new manager David Moyes never tasted victory there with his old Everton sid

Liverpool host Manchester United on Sunday looking to record a fifth successive Premier League win for the first time since May 2009.

Brendan Rodgers's side have followed up their strong finish to last season by winning their opening two games of the new campaign against Stoke City and Aston Villa but, despite their good form, extending this sequence against their arch-rivals at Anfield will not be an easy task, as they have not beaten the Red Devils in their last four league meetings and lost the corresponding fixture 2-1 last season.

That victory was the first time that United had won at Liverpool in five attempts, though, and new boss David Moyes heads back to Merseyside looking for his first ever victory at Anfield.

The Scot masterminded just three wins in 22 matches against Liverpool during his 11-year stint in charge of Everton - with all of those successes coming at Goodison Park.

Captain Steven Gerrard and in-form striker Daniel Sturridge are the men to whom the hosts will look to for inspiration in the absence of Luis Suarez, who serves the seventh game of his 10-match suspension.

Gerrard has scored four goals in his last six league appearances against United - including a goal in each of the last two encounters at Anfield - while Sturridge has netted 10 goals in his last eight appearances in all competitions.

Robin van Persie is likely to be the main threat for the visitors. The Dutchman, who has finished as the Premier League's leading goalscorer for the last two seasons, has netted four times in his last three top-flight appearances against Liverpool.

Rodgers will be without new signing Aly Cissokho as the 25-year-old is expected to be out for between four and six weeks after suffering an ankle injury during the Capital One Cup clash with Notts County.

However, close-season signing Kolo Toure, who also went off in Liverpool's second-round win over the League One outfit, could be fit after recovering well from a groin problem.

United have doubts over Rafael and Chicharito (both hamstring), while Portugal international Nani continues to struggle with a groin injury. Darren Fletcher is unavailable indefinitely due to a bowel condition.

Robben: Defensive Chelsea made it hard

The Dutchman is delighted to have overcome the Blues in the Super Cup but admits that their negative approach made it hard for Bayern Munich, who eventually won on penalties
Bayern Munich forward Arjen Robben says that Chelsea's negative gameplan made it hard for his side to play in their Super Cup victory.

The Bavarians triumphed over Jose Mourinho's side on penalties to after struggling to break down the Londoners for large sections of the game, needing a late Javi Martinez equaliser to force a 2-2 draw and a shootout.

"These are always great games to play. It was fierce, particularly in the duels," Robben told NOS.

"Chelsea are a very defense-minded team and it's difficult to play football. That's their style of play and their quality."

Robben also expressed his disbelief that Chelsea managed to hold firm for much of extra time, with the German champions having a number of chances turned away by Petr Cech.

"In extra-time, we had so many opportunities," he added, "but they didn't go in."

Bayern lost to Borussia Dortmund in the German Supercup at the end of July and Robben is delighted to have won his first medal of the season, enthusing: "Every trophy is super and we thoroughly deserved this one."

Sammer: Guardiola proved he is a magnificent leader

The Bayern Munich sporting director is thrilled at the coach for masterminding Super Cup victory, while Manuel Neuer feels that the win represents an important psychological step
Pep Guardiola displayed magnificent leadership qualities as Bayern Munich beat Chelsea to the Super Cup, according to sporting director Matthias Sammer.

A dramatic match in Prague was eventually settled by Romelu Lukaku's miss in the penalty shootout after an equaliser from Javi Martinez had levelled the score at 2-2 with the final kick of extra time.

Sammer was thrilled to see his side get over the line when defeat had looked almost certain to seal the club's first-ever Super Cup triumph and he paid tribute to Guardiola for delivering the silverware.

"Congratulations to Pep Guardiola! He was magnificent before the match and at half-time. He was a leader for his team and did a fantastic job," he told the press.

"The trophy is very important to us because we need the success to keep on coming. Also, we lost the German Super Cup final. We were angry about that. It would have become difficult if we'd lost again here. We're not over the crest yet but we are on our way to reaching it."

The win on penalties secured an element of revenge over Chelsea after their win over Bayern in the Champions League final in 2012 by the same method and Manuel Neuer believes that it represents an important mental step.

"Fortunately, we managed to win the penalty shootout this time. It was very important for psychological reasons," said the goalkeeper.

"The penalties before my save were superbly taken, ours included – I'd have been delighted to see the same thing in the Champions League final two years ago."

On about his save from Lukaku's spot-kick, Neuer added: "What can you do as a goalkeeper? You simply try to react to the taker's run up – and I chose to dive to the left."

Premier League - Paper Round: United plan £40m Herrera and De Rossi swoop

Manchester United are set to make a double swoop for Ander Herrera and Daniele De Rossi, while Arsenal are targeting Julian Draxler, Salomon Kalou and Kaka - here are the main transfer stories from today's newspapers.

United target Herrera and De Rossi: United will increase their bid for Athletic Bilbao playmaker Herrera to trigger a £30.7 million release clause in the Spaniard's contract, while also lodging a £10.2m bid for Roma midfielder De Rossi, according to the Daily Telegraph. The Old Trafford club have had bids for both players knocked back earlier in the week, but the paper says "there is a confidence within Old Trafford that deals will be done before Monday evening".

Paper Round's view: With Everton standing firm on Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini - the Toffees having rejected United's latest double bid - perhaps the Premier League champions do indeed need to look elsewhere. The combative De Rossi is a great player and would no doubt work well in English football, but he has reservations about leaving Rome. Herrera would be a more likely purchase, if United can stump up enough cash to trigger that clause in his Athletic contract.

Arsenal target Draxler: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made a last-ditch move to sign German teenager Draxler, according to the Daily Mirror. The paper reports that Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis was at the club’s training ground yesterday trying to seal a deal for the 19-year-old Schalke midfielder, although the Gunners are not prepared to meet the German club's £60m valuation. A fee of £40m is more appealing to Wenger.

Paper Round's view: Sixty million does seem a rather inflated price tag, even for a player of Draxler's talent and potential. But, as everyone, including Schalke, knows, Arsenal are desperate with just hours to go before the transfer window shuts. Then again, surely any deal would depend on how Arsenal go with their reported triple bid for Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria.

Read the full story.

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Arsenal holds talks over Kalou: Meanwhile, the Daily Mail claims that Arsenal have held talks over a move for former Chelsea man Kalou. He has been the subject of interest from West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool and Cardiff so far this summer, but each had struggled to agree terms. The paper adds that free agent Carlton Cole is also an option and the Gunners have made a bid for Melbourne Victory and Australia midfielder Mark Milligan.

Paper Round: Kalou, Cole and Milligan. This really is scraping the barrel. But that's what happens when you go an entire summer without spending a penny on new recruits.

Read the full story.

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Arsenal eye Kaka: The Daily Telegraph claims that former world footballer of the year Kaka has joined Arsenal's list of targets after the Brazilian said he wants out of the Bernabeu in a bid to win more minutes on the pitch.

Paper Round's view: And another! Arsenal are certainly hedging their bets ahead of the closing of the window, but Kaka could well be one of the more attainable of their targets. Certainly more so than his Madrid team-mates Benzema, Ozil and Di Maria, who have all said they want to stay put. There could be a stumbling block though: Kaka's wages. Despite not featuring regularly, he is still one of the best paid players in the world.

Read the full story.

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Liverpool close on double defensive deal: The Daily Mail reports that Liverpool are close to sealing a £25m deal for defenders Mamadou Sakho of Paris Saint-Germain and Tiago Ilori of Sporting. The Reds' prospects of landing Sakho improved on Friday after rivals Roma seemed ready to pull out, the paper claims. It adds that the Reds face competition for Chelsea's Victor Moses though, in the form of Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Norwich and Southampton.

Paper Round's view: Sakho is a tremendous player and would be a great addition to Liverpool's squad, even if he's fallen down the pecking order at PSG and not played a minute this season. That state of affairs has led him to ask to leave the French capital club, and Liverpool appear to be in pole position to land him

David Cameron has signalled his support for Barack Obama over Syria after the US president said he would ask Congress to vote on military strike action.

In a tweet, the prime minister said: "I understand and support Barack Obama's position on #Syria."

Foreign Secretary William Hague called it a "fine speech" after President Obama outlined his position for action on the war-torn country.

A former Lib Dem leader said Parliament could "reconsider its position".

It comes after British MPs defeated a government motion to take part in any military action in Syria on Thursday evening, effectively ruling out UK support in a US strike.

The US says the Syrian government carried out chemical weapons attacks on 21 August in which 1,429 people died.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - who denies any involvement, blaming opposition forces - has said his country will defend itself against any Western "aggression"

'Off agenda'

Speaking after the US president set out his position, former Liberal Democrat leader Lord Ashdown said: "This was a brave and principled act from a brave and principled president."

He added: "It opens up all sorts of different new possibilities. One of which is the UK Parliament certainly could reconsider its position. It puts huge pressure on Mr Miliband.

"What now if having followed further discussions with [Russian President] Putin and Congress giving its view, what now will Mr Miliband say if there is a UN process?

"If Congress says yes, does Mr Miliband continue to say no?"

Mr Miliband has not commented on the president's speech but the Labour leader has said that he does not believe that the House of Commons vote means that the UK could not make a difference to "innocent civilians" in Syria.

Obama to seek Congress vote on Syria military action

President Barack Obama says the US should take military action against Syria and he will seek congressional authorisation for intervention.

The US says the Syrian government carried out chemical weapons attacks on 21 August in which 1,429 people died.

Mr Obama said the operation would be limited in duration and strong to deter future chemical attacks. Congress is due to reconvene on 9 September.

The Syrian government denies it was behind the attacks and blames rebels.

UN inspectors who have been investigating the attacks arrived in the Netherlands on Saturday with samples from site visits, which will be tested in laboratories in Europe.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which is overseeing the investigation, said the whole testing process could take up to three weeks, although "every effort" would be made to expedite it.

Senior White House officials told the BBC's Katty Kay that Mr Obama's decision to seek congressional approval was made by the president on Friday afternoon. It had not been planned until then.

The officials added that they believed they would get congressional approval, although they were aware of the risks, our correspondent adds.

Rooney a doubt for Liverpool clash with head injury

Wayne Rooney is a doubt for Manchester United's crunch clash with Liverpool after sustaining a head injury in training, Goal understands. 

The forward left the club's Carrington base with a bandaged head after suffering the injury in training on Saturday morning.

Rooney is understood to have sustained a gash, leaving the Premier League champions waiting on a medical assessment of the striker ahead of their trip to Anfield on Sunday.

The striker, who has been subject to two bids from Chelsea this summer, spoke of his gratitude towards United's fans after he received a positive reaction away to Swansea and at home to the Blues during the sides' 0-0 draw on Monday. 

And Moyes moved to praise the former Everton star on Friday, insisting he is "mentally in good shape" ahead of the trip to face Brendan Rodgers' men. 

"I felt he played very well the other night [against Chelsea] and he's looking in good condition and is mentally in good shape too," Moyes told reporters.

"We'll do everything we possibly can to keep that going and need him to keep performing well. At the moment he's in good shape."