When two Premier League heavyweights like Manchester United and Liverpool go head-to-head, the last thing you want is a cut-up pitch ruining the free-flowing spectacle. Luckily, the Old Trafford groundsmen had a slightly unusual trick up their sleeve to ensure a pristine playing surface - cloves of garlic. For the past five years, the pitch at United's home ground has been sprayed with the root vegetable as it helps keep parasites from destroying the roots. The Old Trafford pitch was sprayed with garlic to ensure a pristine playing surface for Sunday United's ground staff have been using the garlic cloves each week for about five years The rows of garlic cloves can be seen criss-crossing the Old Trafford pitch on Friday UNITED FIXTURES Premier League unless stated February 27 Crystal Palace (A) March 2 Southampton (H) March 6 Paris Saint-Germain (A) Champions League last-16, second leg March 10 Arsenal (A) March 16 Wolves (A) FA Cup sixth round Advertisement And it's proved a successful tactic in transforming what was a pretty poor Old Trafford surface into one worthy of the venue. United aren't the only Premier League club to use the technique and it's judged worthwhile despite inevitably kicking up a bit of a stink. Apparently the strong whiff of dozens of stinky garlic cloves can be smelled half-a-mile away from Old Trafford if the wind is in the right direction. Sky Sports captured on camera the technique of dropping garlic cloves onto the Old Trafford pitch during their build-up to Sunday's showdown between the two bitter rivals. Liverpool are chasing their first league title in 29 years but were held to a goalless draw by United on Sunday afternoon. The garlic helps kill harmful parasites in order to ensure the pitch is as smooth as possible The formerly bumpy Old Trafford surface has become one of the best in the Premier League The Old Trafford ground staff with their lawnmowers after a Manchester United match<doc-sep>Some football fans were astonished to find out that Manchester United had sprayed their Old Trafford pitch with garlic in the buildup to their crucial clash against Liverpool. According to Sky Sports, the root vegetable helps stop parasites from damaging the roots of the grass, United, as well as whole host of Premier League clubs have been using this technique once a week for five years. Garlic keeps the vampires away and our pitches safe – it’s ranking as a vegetable has certainly gone up after this revelation. Of course the downside of using garlic to treat the pitch is that the stadium can start to smell quite horrid, the report highlights that the stench can be smelled from half a mile away depending on the wind. Fortunately for United’s visitors this isn’t expected for tomorrow’s clash. Take a look at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ being sprayed below: They’ve had a stinker! ? @ManUtd have been spraying garlic on the Old Trafford pitch ahead of their huge clash with @LFC on Sunday. Why do @ManUtd use garlic on the Old Trafford pitch? https://t.co/4VLqBwaZ6Y pic.twitter.com/t1jLQ3t43S — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 22, 2019 Tomorrow’s clash is arguably one of the biggest games of the season and the implications it can have on both teams is massive. Should Solskjaer get the better of Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool’s hopes of winning the title will take a hit – a defeat for the Reds will literally mean that they will have to go head to head with City in the run-in to the end of the season. A loss for United on the other hand is just as damaging – Solskjaer has defied the odds to get United into fourth place in the league and a defeat could see Arsenal or Chelsea take advantage and snatch their top four spot away from them. Check out some reaction to revelation below: Parasites due on Sunday they’ve got that one right — Reddevilkeane16 (@reddevilkeane16) February 22, 2019 Another excuse for klopp — Joshua Jones (@jonesjosh1988) February 22, 2019 Salah must be allergic to Garlic and it’s an attempt to keep him on his feet? — Boro Knicks (@BoroKnicks) February 22, 2019 Cant wait for klopps excuse ?? — joshua verbic (@joshuaverbic) February 22, 2019 United already afraid of the Mighty Liverpool ? — Geoff Anfield (@Geoff_Anfield) February 23, 2019 Klopp: we lost today, here at old Trafford, not because the grass was too long, or too short, or even too wet. We lost today because it smelled like garlic. — Wyatt Johnson (@WyattLJohnson) February 22, 2019 Garlic helps to kill bacteria and parasites which is quite appropriate considering who the visitors are this Sunday! ? — Peter Burrell (@PeteBurrell) February 22, 2019 This fan pointed to the time that Luis Suarez bit Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, Liverpool’s attack are frightening enough, imagine if they were vampires… Incase Suarez turns up the vampire — Alan Levi Hodges (@AlanLevi501) February 22, 2019 Staying on the topic of tomorrow’s clash between the heated rivals, take a look at what United legend Eric Cantona had to say when he was asked who he’d want to win the league between City and Liverpool. The Frenchman still has that charismatic character…<doc-sep>Manager mind games and social media digs are part and parcel of the modern day build-up to a crunch Premier League clash. Man Utd’s eagerly anticipated clash with Liverpool has already been hyped up to the maximum, but it's also been in the headlines for a fairly unsual reason, after footgate emerged of the unorthodox Old Trafford pitch preparations United have employed ahead of the pivotal duel. No, United have not been changing the size or putting in mole hills, but instead the groundsman have been drenching the pitch in garlic. You what? Yes, that’s right, the Red Devils been spraying the strong-smelling pungent-tasting bulb in order to improve the surface, and you may be surprised to hear that the club have been doing it for some time. What does the garlic actually do? Luckily Sky Sports have the answer. “The root vegetable helps keep parasites from damaging the roots and United, along with a number of other Premier League clubs, have been using the technique once a week for the last five years.” And as you’d expect the smell isn’t exactly pleasant… “It is used sporadically but kicks up quite a stink inside the stadium and can be smelled from half a mile away in a prevailing wind, but it is not expected to linger when Jurgen Klopp's team arrive at the weekend.” A video has surfaced on line of the garlic pumping procedure in action - see below - something that both Man Utd and Liverpool fans have had their say on... Please say Liverpool's defence are allergic hahaha (@FPL_Flooded) Another excuse for klopp (@jonesjosh1988) Incase Suarez turns up the vampire (@AlanLevi501)<doc-sep>
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already beaten Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Chelsea during his brief stint as Manchester United’s interim manager, but the one game that he’ll be desperate to win is drawing ever closer. The Red Devils host Liverpool on Sunday, desperate to put a dent in their rivals’ hopes of winning the Premier League. Many supporters aren’t afraid to admit that they would prefer Man City to win the title over Liverpool. That’s just how fierce the rivalry is. The first meeting between the two sides this season ended in a comfortable 3-1 win for Liverpool, a result which brought an end to Jose Mourinho’s spell at the club. But this is a new Man United side, invigorated by Solskjaer’s positive approach. They’ve lost just once in 13 matches under the Norwegian and have already completed a task that Mourinho dismissed as near-impossible by climbing into the top four positions. The Manchester outfit have the benefit of playing in front of their own fans and on a pitch that they are accustomed to. Man United have sprayed garlic on the pitch And the turf at Old Trafford will have a distinct feeling to it on Sunday - because it has been sprayed with garlic. That’s right, the ground staff at the Theatre of Dreams have sprayed the root vegetable on the pitch ahead of the match. It’s actually something they’ve done once a week for the last five years. There’s logic to it, though. Per Sky Sports, the garlic helps to prevent parasites from damaging the roots. The technique produces quite a smell inside the stadium - it can even be smelled from half a mile away. But the smell is not expected to remain by the time the game kicks off at 2:05pm on Sunday. Sky Sports add that the Old Trafford pitch has improved from one of the poorest in the Premier League to one of the best in the last decade. Man United aren’t the only club in the top flight to use the method. News Now - Sport News