The pick of matchweek three's fixtures in the Premier League takes place at Old Trafford on Monday night as Manchester United play host to Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs have made a bright start to the campaign by winning their first two games, while United slipped up at Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend to leave them off the pace.
This is a fixture that the Red Devils tend to do well in, however, having won each of the last four encounters at the Theatre of Dreams without conceding a goal.
Ahead of this latest showdown, Sports Mole selects the strongest combined XI from both teams using those expected to be available.
Both sides are blessed in terms of their goalkeeping options, with David de Gea and Hugo Lloris two of the finest stoppers around. The former has gone off the boil since winning United's Player of the Year award at the end of last season, conceding 10 goals from the last 14 shots faced at club and international level, but he gets the nod as Lloris's participation in this match is in doubt due to a drink-drive charge.
What Jose Mourinho would give to have one of Tottenham's centre-back's in his side, having failed to be impressed by the likes of Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling. The disgruntled Portuguese targeted Toby Alderweireld during the summer and would no doubt have taken Jan Vertonghen, too, but the Belgian duo remain in North London and boast one of the finest defensive partnerships anywhere on the continent. Then there is Davinson Sanchez, who took advantage of Alderweireld's layoff last term, and the trio are expected to start together at Old Trafford on Monday.
Tottenham also boast the better full-backs, or indeed wing-backs, with Kieran Trippier starring for England at the World Cup on the back of an impressive club campaign, and Ben Davies performing consistently well on the other flank to render Danny Rose nothing more than a backup option. United duo Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young have adapted well since being pushed back into the backline, though both men are the wrong side of 30 and could do with replacing.
One of the Red Devils' strongest areas is in central midfield, where Paul Pogba, Fred and Nemanja Matic are expected to form a solid partnership once the latter is brought back to full speed. Fred was the highest-profile of Mourinho's summer signings, but the Brazilian needs time to adapt to English football, whereas Matic has starred in a title-winning side and Pogba has the small matter of a World Cup winner's medal in his cabinet. Due to the vast array of attacking talents on Tottenham's books, Christian Eriksen - 10 goals and 10 assists in the top flight last term - has to be shoehorned into this side as part of a three-man midfield.
Harry Kane finally got off the mark with his first August goal at the 15th attempt last weekend, and now the World Cup Golden Boot winner will be aiming to reclaim his top scorer crown at domestic level from Mohamed Salah. Kane has scored 16 goals against big-six opposition in the Premier League - two more than Romelu Lukaku, who has played 2008 minutes more. There is no keeping Lukaku out of this side, though, and the Belgian would likely thrive - just like Kane - with a creative player of Dele Alli's talents alongside him.
Daniel Lewis
