Filed under: Manchester United, Stoke City, Premier League, Football, Match Previews
PREMIER LEAGUE: BRITANNIA STADIUM, SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24th 2011. KICK-OFF: 1730 BSTWhile Sir Alex Ferguson has seen bitter rivals including Arsene Wenger and Kenny Dalglish struggle against Stoke, he has found encounters with Tony Pulis a breeze.
Six consecutive Premier League matches against Stoke's renowned party poopers have all ended in United victories and while other managers have emerged from this unforgiving venue with their noses bloodied, Ferguson is yet to see what the fuss is about.
United have not been beaten in any league encounter against the Potters since 1984 and could not be heading into their latest assignment in a better frame of mind.
Unbeaten in all competitions, including a stirring win over Chelsea last weekend and a regulation stroll against deadly enemies Leeds on Tuesday, United's season could receive yet another lift with the return of Rio Ferdinand.
The England international is pencilled in to make only his third appearance of the season here, providing Ferguson with even more options as United buck the trend with an excellent start to the campaign.
Stoke have made progress year on year since returning to the top flight, though, and this meeting surely represents their best chance yet of breaking the run of defeats.
Key Match-Up: Peter Crouch v Rio Ferdinand. Crouch will be under more pressure to score now after the loss of Kenwyne Jones through injury and will be desperate to record his first goal against such illustrious opponents. Ferdinand will undoubtedly be rusty after such limited opportunities and view coming up against Crouch as an ideal way to bed himself back in.
Form Guide: Stoke's nine-match unbeaten run came to an end at Sunderland last weekend in emphatic fashion but they restored confidence by beating Spurs in the Carling Cup on penalties. United's draw against Benfica is the only blot on their campaign so far, with the other six games ending in victories.
Odds: Stoke 11/2, United 8/15, Draw 3/1
STOKE
Ryan Shawcross is on a mission to upset former club United's 100% start to the Premier League season and finally end Stoke's agonising 27-year wait for a win.
Stoke have lost six consecutive games to Ferguson since promotion to the top flight and not beaten United in the league since 1984.
But Pulis's Potters have only lost once at the Britannia Stadium this year and are determined to bounce back from their thrashing at Sunderland last weekend.
And Shawcross, who spent six years at Old Trafford, is desperate to end Ferguson's hoodoo over his club on Saturday.
He said: "The result and the performance at Sunderland were disappointing, but we move on now and we set our sights on another unbeaten run like the one we have just had.
"It will be hard to start that off against Manchester United because they are a top team, but everyone is beatable, and we know if we have the fans right behind us and we perform in a way we know we can, then we do have a chance.
"Last weekend was probably a bit of a reality check for us to be honest, especially having been on a nine-game unbeaten run to start the new season.
"Good runs have to come to an end, but it was disappointing for it to end in that fashion at Sunderland."
Strategy: Extra time and penalties were the last thing Pulis wanted ahead of this game, especially after fielding such a strong team against Spurs. The preparations and rehabilitation for this match will be meticulous as Pulis bids to keep his players refreshed for such a substantial challenge.
Stoke's record against United in the past could either work as an incentive or a mental hindrance.
Injury Update: Jones is facing three weeks on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury against Spurs. Shawcross will return to the team after he was rested in midweek. Danny Higginbotham (knee), Ricardo Fuller and Mamady Sidibe (both Achilles) are still out.
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