The last time Manchester United and Liverpool met, Robin van Persie scored in the 81st minute to give the Red Devils a vital 2-1 win at Anfield. That was his fifth goal of the season. Now, he has 20 goals to his name and will certainly look to add to the tally.
But it's not just about RVP. Chances need to be created for the front-men to score, defenders need to be aware throughout the 90 minutes and goalkeepers need to be at their sharpest. Here are the key player battles that we think will shape the outcome of the match.
Robin van Persie vs Martin Skrtel: In the absence of Jamie Carragher, Skrtel has been Liverpool's mainstay in defence. He has played 1782 minutes (only behind Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez) but the Reds have conceded 26 goals in the EPL already — 16 of them away from home.
Old foes meet again. Getty Images
With RVP in scintillating form, Skrtel will come up against as stern a test as he can get. While the Slovakian will usually win the aerial battles, he is easy to turn as seen in many games and clumsy at times too. Van Persie will relish this one.
Nemanja Vidic vs Luis Suarez: On current form, Suarez will win this battle nine out of ten times. The 15-goal man is Liverpool's most potent weapon and Vidic has looked jaded at best since his comeback from injury. His performance against West Ham was characterised by the clumsy tackle he made on the wings, allowing Joe Cole to put in a fine cross from the left. Suarez has the ability to leave Vidic flustered and force fouls in and around the box. The slippery customer needs to be dealt with early on, or United run the risk of seeing the best of him.
Michael Carrick vs Steven Gerrard: Mr.Liverpool has been fit and fine throughout the season, playing 1890 minutes in 21 matches this season. He has five goals and eight assists so far. But Carrick has been United's most consistent midfielders in recent times. He may not have the aura and the power of Gerrard, but will be the calming force against the storm that the Liverpool captain can create. Carrick needs to sit deep though, and have the support of Tom Cleverley in a three-pronged midfield if he is to contain Gerrard — who scored against United earlier in the season.
Shinji Kagawa vs Lucas Leiva: Kagawa's fine start to his career at Old Trafford was hampered by a long-term injury, and his return hasn't seen the same kind of performances. We still think he must start, though United have opted for a more conservative 4-4-2 recently, compared to a 4-2-3-1. He brings a lot of creativity and flair to the attacking third and Liverpool's defence will not be able to track his movement. It must, however, be a choice between him and Chicharito and we suspect the latter may win the race despite Kagawa assisting Rafael's goal in the previous fixture. If he doesn't, then expect Lucas and some clattering tackles into the Japanese. He has been subbed off each of the nine times he has appeared, and that may mean Joe Allen could get a chance to play.
Antonio Valencia vs Glen Johnson: Jose Enrique is injured, so Johnson will shift to left-back, allowing young Andre Wisdom to play on the right. That means United's best winger comes up against Liverpool's best wing-back. Johnson will bomb forward for support and Valencia will thrive in that situation. He hasn't been at his best for some time and this will be the perfect opportunity to return to form. The biggest surprise is that he hasn't scored a single goal this season — more reason for the Ecuadorian to wear his shooting boots. It won't be that easy to beat Johnson purely on pace though, because the England right-back is a zippy player himself.
Raheem Sterling vs Patrice Evra: Sterling has been one of the standout young performers of the year. If he keeps it up, then he can look forward to the Premier League Young Player of the Year award at the end of the season. His two goals, five assists and link-up with Suarez have given Liverpool some cheer. We guess he'll be starting on the right, his preferred position, with Stewart Downing on the left. Downing's record — three losses out of the six times he started on the right, convinces us of this, but Brendan Rodgers likes to throw a few selection surprises. Sterling vs Evra will be interesting with the United skipper an unmovable force in the back-line. His performances may not be too special, but he has started getting some goals and will be tempted to run forward. If Sterling can beat his marker, then the going may get tough for Evra.
Liverpool EPL form: W-D-L-W-W-L-W-L-W-W
Man United EPL form: L-W-W-W-W-W-D-W-W-W
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