This weekend, all will be quiet on the Premier League front – but United, along with the other nineteen top division teams, will be in action, as the Red Devils host Sheffield United in the FA Cup.
Saturday evening’s game will kick off at 17:30 GMT at Old Trafford and will be the first meeting between the two sides since April 2007.
There have been a total of ninety two games between the Red Devils and the Blades, dating back to 1893. They were inseparable on fifteen occasions, but Manchester United come out on top in the head-to-head, with forty three wins to Sheffield United’s thirty four.
With Sheffield United not having won at Old Trafford since Boxing Day 1973, the Red Devils have to be the favourites on Saturday evening. Incidentally, that 1973-74 season was the one in which United were relegated, so Louis van Gaal will want to avoid repeating history by losing on Saturday and going on to be relegated from the top flight!
With plenty of history between the two sides, there have been a lot of memorable games – but how have the last five turned out?
Manchester United 2-0 Sheffield United: April 2007
Man United XI: Kuszczak; Brown, Carrick, Heinze, Evra; Smith, Scholes, Fletcher, Giggs; Ronaldo, Rooney.
The last game between the two sides was a Premier League fixture, with the Red Devils going into the game in first place in the league, whilst the Sheffield outfit were sitting in a lowly seventeenth place.
It was a well-contested game but it was the favourites who came out on top.
Goals: Michael Carrick (‘4), Wayne Rooney (’50)
Sheffield United 1-2 Manchester United: November 2006
Man United XI: Van der Sar; Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs; Rooney, Saha.
Another Premier League fixture, Manchester United were victorious over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane back in 2006, against a Blades side which included Phil Jagielka in midfield and Colin Kazim-Richards up front.
Goals: Keith Gillespie (’13), Wayne Rooney (’30, ’75)
Sheffield United 0-2 Manchester United: January 1995
Man United XI: Schmeichel; O’Kane, Pallister, Bruce, Irwin; McClair, Butt, Keane, Giggs; Hughes, Cantona.
This game was yet another close one between the two sides as the Blades kept a talented United side out for most of the game – but two goals in two minutes saw the Red Devils progress late on in this FA Cup tie.
Goals: Mark Hughes (’80), Eric Cantona (’82)
Sheffield United 0-1 Manchester United: January 1994
Man United XI: Schmeichel; Parker, Bruce, Pallister, Irwin; Kanchelskis, Keane, Ince, Giggs; Hughes, Cantona.
Another FA Cup game away to Sheffield, another tight affair, and another game vs the Blades where Sir Alex Ferguson opted for Hughes and Cantona as his strikers – and guess what, one of them settled this one, just like they’d go on to do two years later, as you have already seen.
Goals: Mark Hughes (’49)
Sheffield United 0-3 Manchester United: December 1993
Man United XI: Schmeichel; Parker, Bruce, Pallister, Irwin; McClair, Sharpe, Ince, Giggs; Hughes, Cantona.
No points for guessing who started up front for United in this game at Bramall Lane, you’ve seen them here before! That’s right, at least one of them scored in this one!
Goals: Mark Hughes (’13), Lee Sharpe (’27), Eric Cantona (’60)
Saturday...
Well, The Blades will be happy that Mark Hughes and Eric Cantona won’t be starting up front in this weekend’s FA Cup clash, but they should be wary of another Frenchman, Anthony Martial, who is likely to feature!