Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes defends Liverpool over their recent form

Bruno Fernandes has issued an extraordinary defence of Liverpool's recent calamitous form, saying the Reds are not playing badly and that they are a victim of their own huge success.

Manchester United play Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday and face a Merseyside team that has failed to score in its last four matches.

Liverpool also had their 68-game unbeaten Premier League home run broken by Burnley in a shock 1-0 defeat on Thursday. Despite this, Fernandes said the club are not in bad shape.

'I think teams have moments. I don't think Liverpool are playing poorly. I think they don't win and this is the point,' Fernandes told the Manchester United website.

He also expressed support for Liverpool's prime attacking trio Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, who are all misfiring at the moment.

'When teams don't win, everyone talks about that. When players don't score, everyone talks about that,' Fernandes explained.

'I feel that on me because I know the standard is high, because I arrived and I scored a lot of goals and make a lot of assists, and everyone is wanting goals and assists from me.

'It is the same - everyone expects goals from (Mohamed) Salah, from (Roberto) Firminho and from (Sadio) Mane. They are not scoring in the last games and it starts feeling like "oh, they are not playing well".

Fernandes also suggested that the lack of fans in stadiums has worked against Liverpool's, whose Anfield fortress has been buttressed by a fervent home supporter base that can affect visiting teams.

The Portuguese also said that it would be foolish to underestimate Liverpool because of their recent woes.

'Every team goes there to play maybe without the pressure of the fans,' he said. Teams play a little bit more comfortably and, as I say, I think it is a moment.

'They create, they play, but the other teams are playing better and, as I said before, they have more qualities to play.

'We don't have to look at that moment because big teams and big players can show in every moment.'