Why Manchester United’s stalwart Patrice Evra will be key in awkward home match against Stoke City

Date: Saturday 26th October

Venue: Old Trafford

Kick Off: 3pm

Champions Manchester United entertain former fans’ favourite Mark Hughes’s Stoke City side, in a game that is already looking like something of a must-win tie if the Reds are to have any aspirations of retaining their title.

Team News: Manchester United

United should have recent injury doubts, Rio Ferdinand, Tom Cleverley, Nemanja Vidic and Danny Welbeck available, while Robin van Persie is likely to have recovered from a recent groin strain.

United will be hoping to have the Dutch hitman and their current Premier League top scorer back who despite not hitting the heights of last season has still managed to bag four goals so far this term.

Team News: Stoke

Stoke could be struggling defensively with Ryan Shawcross recovering from illness and Geoff Cameron hoping to shake off a calf strain.

Recent Form:

United’s draw at home to Southampton deflated any high spirits the Reds may have felt from the win over Sunderland before the international break, as David Moyes endures an awful start to his Old Trafford reign. One win in four games for United is bad enough, but one point from home games against West Bromwich Albion and Southampton had really given the new manager’s critics lots to shout about. United have usually been able to rely on their Old Trafford form, even when not at their best, but one home win out of four this season is something that would be almost unthinkable under Sir Alex Ferguson.

With only two points from their last five games, Mark Hughes’s side could do without a trip to the reigning champions- regardless of how indifferent United’s form is. Stoke have failed to score in any of their last three games, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise for a side that’s bagged a paltry four goals all season.

Players to Watch:

Manchester United – Patrice Evra

With eleven key passes this season, as many as the likes of Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick, the darling of the French media has become an even more integral part of United’s forward play than he was during previous campaigns. Evra may be on his way out of Old Trafford next Summer, but he’s certainly going to be missed as the left back likes to get forward almost as much as his likely successor from down the M62 at Goodison Park.

Man United Top Chance Creators This Season

Click on the image to enlarge

Stoke City: Steven N’Zonzi

In a Stoke side bereft of attacking flair, N’Zonzi has been ploughing something of a lone furrow creating chances that have by and large been squandered. Unlike some of his team mates, N’Zonzi is also extremely useful when it comes to keeping possession with an 89% pass accuracy rate. The Frenchman is exactly the type of player Mark Hughes will be reliant upon if he is to move Stoke forward in a way previous boss Tony Pulis seemed incapable of towards the end of his reign.

Prediction:

This game has the potential to be one of the least entertaining in the football calendar should Mark Hughes decide to shut up shop and United show the same reluctance to really go for the jugular that’s plagued them at times this season. If Hughes decides to ‘go for broke’ then with the likes of Januzaj, Rooney, not to mention the full backs Evra and Rafael bombing forward it could be something of a kick start to the season for United. I’ll go with the former and predict a set piece could be the difference between the two sides.

Manchester United 1 Stoke City 0