Manchester United have taken the unorthodox measure of spraying garlic on the Old Trafford pitch to improve the surface ahead of their Premier League clash with Liverpool on Sunday.
The Red Devils' clash with Jurgen Klopp's side is the standout fixture of the weekend as the visitors look to continue their push for the title, whilst United will seek to maintain their resurgence under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
They’ve had a stinker! 浪@ManUtd have been spraying garlic on the Old Trafford pitch ahead of their huge clash with @LFC on Sunday.
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 22, 2019
Why do @ManUtd use garlic on the Old Trafford pitch? https://t.co/4VLqBwaZ6Y pic.twitter.com/t1jLQ3t43S
However, in an unusual measure for a club of United's stature, the Red Devils' ground staff have elected to utilise cloves of garlic as a surprise means of ensuring that their pitch is not bumpy, as reported by the Daily Mail.
It is said that the club have taken the surprise action of spraying their pitch with garlic on a weekly basis for the last five years, as the vegetable apparently helps to keep parasites from shredding the roots of the turf.
With United's pitch regarded as one of the finest in the country, the approach seems to have been effective - though the garlic can apparently be smelled up to half-a-mile away from the ground depending on wind direction.
✊ "We're playing Liverpool and we know how big that is for Manchester United, for our staff and for our supporters." #MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 22, 2019
However, the smell is gone in time for the weekend's game, and United are apparently not the only Premier League club to adopt the method.
United's clash with Liverpool reignites one of the greatest rivalries in English football, but also comes as the latest instalment in what is a big run-in to the end of the season for both sides.
Jurgen Klopp's side head into the clash level with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, and with Pep Guardiola's team taking a break from league commitments as they play in the Carabao Cup final at the weekend, the Reds have a big opportunity to edge ahead of City.
BREAKING: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says @ManUtd's @JesseLingard and Anthony Martial could return against @LFC on Sunday. #SSNhttps://t.co/uLlHuJkll7 pic.twitter.com/CXQUxOaHoJ
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 22, 2019
Meanwhile, Solskjaer's rejuvenation of his United side has seen the Red Devils stage a resurgent bid to claim a top four finish which had appeared highly unlikely earlier in the season, and they will be keen to maintain their lead over Arsenal and Chelsea in the table.
Source: 90min
