While Manchester United were cruising to a 5-2 defeat of  Scunthorpe with an entirely different starting line up to that used against Liverpool on Sunday, ten other Premier League clubs were dropping out of the Carling Cup. Manchester  City were knocked out by West Brom to miss out on their best chance of winning some sort of desperately desired silverware, Liverpool were determined to get to a Wembley final but could not even make it into the fourth round after going out to League Two Northampton at a half empty Anfield while Chelsea, Tottenham, Blackburn, Everton, Bolton, Fulham, Sunderland and Blackpool have  all been eliminated.

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One of the biggest expectations during the recently closed transfer window was for Manchester United to secure a top class goalkeeper in preparation for veteran Edwin van der Sar’s impending retirement. Those expectations were further increased when Sir Alex Ferguson was prepared to allow Ben Foster move to Birmingham City but to the surprise of many, a replacement failed to materialise with Sir Alex putting all his faith in his number two keeper Tomasz Kuszczak. It was interesting see a report in the Manchester Evening News therefore that the Poland international is now contemplating a move away from Old Trafford despite van der Sar getting closer with every game to hanging up his gloves.

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Sunday’s Old Trafford clash will be far more than a battle for three points. Manchester United and Liverpool will both be desperate to avoid defeat albeit for vastly different reasons. Anything but a win for United will almost certainly see them trailing Chelsea by seven points after only five games which would be a huge gap to make up so early in the campaign.

For many Liverpool fans however, the objective is totally different. Manager Roy Hodgson has admitted that it’s not realistic for his side to win the title. Even grabbing a top four position could be difficult with both Manchester City and Spurs looking good bets to finish above them. The major goal for those fans therefore is to simply stop United from winning a record breaking nineteenth title. Winning on Sunday will be a huge first step towards avoiding what would be such a devastating outcome.

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The much anticipated new 25 player squad rule which came into being at 5pm on Tuesday has been little more than a non event as far as Manchester United were concerned. As the club reported on its official website “All United players, barring those currently out on loan, are eligible to play for the Reds in the Premier League this season. United’s Champions League squad has also been submitted to UEFA, European football’s governing body and now has to be verified before being confirmed.”

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Despite critics writing off Manchester United’s recent signing Bebe as a failure within days of arriving at Carrington, the 20 year old was given a vote of confidence by Portugal with his inclusion in the Under 21 squad to face England in the European Championship match on Friday night. It should be an interesting clash for United fans as the striker may well be lining up against team mate Chris Smalling who will be in the centre of the English defence.

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Reserve team matches are not exactly seen as a highlight on the season’s calendar but Manchester United’s clash with City on Tuesday night had more than the normal level of interest. United fielded a side worth £48 million against their multi millionaire neighbors in the 3-1 victory in the Manchester Senior Cup at Hyde’s Ewen Fields ground. Brazilian midfielder Anderson returned to action for the first time since suffering cruciate ligament damage in February by making a 60 minute appearance.

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