Man United vs Liverpool: Key Battles

Having gotten a taste of the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United earlier in the season, Reds manager Brendan Rodgers will know exactly what to expect when he leads the squad to Old Trafford this weekend.

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard scored his team's only goal in the previous meeting, before strikes from Rafael and Robin van Persie ensured victory to Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

Gerrard has the penchant of rising to the occasion, but most of the money will be placed on Van Persie hitting the back of the net once more to extend the Red Devils' lead at the top of the Premier League table.

Nonetheless, Liverpool supporters will not be counting their team out of this high-stakes clash - especially with the equally dangerous Luis Suarez in the ranks.

Predicted Starting XIs

Man United: De Gea, Rafael, Vidic, Evans, Evra, Carrick, Cleverley, Valencia, Giggs, Hernandez, van Persie

Form guide: WWWDW

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Wisdom, Lucas, Allen, Gerrard, Sterling, Suarez, Sturridge

Form guide: WWLWL

ESPNSTAR.com takes a look at some key battles that could decide the outcome of this game.

Jonny Evans vs Luis Suarez

Two of the league's in-form hit-men will be showcasing their skills, but it is the duel between the lethal Suarez and United's maturing centre-back Jonny Evans that will be crucial.

With the competition now past the halfway mark, the Uruguayan's goal-scoring contributions are known to all and sundry.

Suarez's dribbles and feints are a source of torment for opposition defenders, most of whom are powerless to stop him as he charges toward goal. While new signing Daniel Sturridge can be expected to shoulder some of the attacking burden, all eyes will be on the former Ajax man who terrorised United two years ago at Anfield.

With Rio Ferdinand getting on in age and Red Devils captain Nemanja Vidic yet to get a good run of games under his belt since his return from injury, the task to shackle the Liverpool forward falls to Evans.

To many supporters, the Northern Irishman has been one of the team's better performers in an oft fragile defence this season and is poised to secure a permanent berth in the United starting line-up at the expense of either Ferdinand or Vidic. Evans can prove his credentials further if he turns in a soild performance in this match.

Michael Carrick vs Steven Gerrard

The mantra is simple: "If you do not have the ball, you cannot win the game." With neither side likely to be satisfied with anything other than three points, both will attempt to squeeze the other out of contention by maintaining a stranglehold on possession.

Whether the Red Devils can do so depends on Michael Carrick. After enduring criticism for being inconsistent last season, the Englishman has transformed himself into the team's steady midfield heartbeat in this campaign, unwavering in his task of sweeping up loose balls and recycling possession. Perhaps the closest thing United have to a defensive midfielder, Carrick could have a say on the goals front as well, given his growing inclination toward assisting the likes of van Persie and Javier Hernandez recently. 

Although he can no longer spearhead the box-to-box counterattacks he was synonymous with in his prime, Steven Gerrard leads the Liverpool assist chart by a mile and half this season. With the sprightly attacking trio of Suarez, Sturridge and Raheem Sterling before him, and the support of midfield partners Joe Allen and Lucas Leiva, the 32-year old will once again be required to pull the strings for Rodgers' team in this game. One cannot count Gerrard out from getting his name on the score-sheet in this encounter either.

Patrice Evra vs Raheem Sterling

A fresh-faced youngster who made just three substitute appearances for Liverpool last season, Raheem Sterling has cemented his place down the wing after impressing Rodgers with his exciting dribbling and burning pace.

The 18-year old's talent justifies the Reds boss' belief in youth, but he has struggled to produce when thrown into high-stakes occasions. United will provide him with yet another chance to change that impression.

Although the battle-hardened Patrice Evra, Sterling's direct opposition in the fixture, will surely struggle to match the Liverpool winger for pace, Sterling will need more than just blistering speed to dominate the Frenchman's flank.

Not one to back down from a challenge, the former Monaco defender will look to bully Sterling into submission and mitigate his influence in the game.

Robin van Persie vs Martin Skrtel & Daniel Agger

It will take top-notch performances from both of Liverpool's centre-backs to shut out the exceptional Robin van Persie in this game. The Dutchman leads the Premier League scoring charts and has an uncanny ability to deliver killer blows for the Red Devils just when one counts the team out.

Like the majority of the Liverpool squad, Skrtel and Agger have both been guilty of inconsistency during the first half of the season. However, Rodgers will take heart from the performances put on by the duo in the team's previous two league encounters against Queens Park Rangers and Sunderland.

Nonetheless, the task of keeping the irrepressible van Persie quiet is another matter altogether, so Skrtel and Agger must be aware of  the necessity of stepping up their game if the Reds are to come out on top.