Manchester United play host to Leicester City on Saturday evening having recorded successive 4-0 victories in their opening two fixtures in the Premier League.
The Foxes travel to Old Trafford after beginning the campaign in relatively solid fashion, but it will be a tough ask for Craig Shakespeare's side to gain a positive result at the top-flight leaders.
Manchester United
© SilverHub
United earned mixed reviews for how they performed in pre-season but Jose Mourinho and his players have shown that not too much should be taken from friendly fixtures which are generally used for fitness and to bed in new signings.
Simply put, United have been juggernauts in their first two matches. Boosted by the additions of Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku, the North-West outfit look a completely different unit in comparison to the previous campaign and on this form, you cannot bet against them at least putting up a strong challenge for the league title.
West Ham United and Swansea City have not provided the strongest of opposition, and United needed until the 80th minute to wrap things up at the Liberty Stadium last weekend, but there is a business-like feel to this United team and Mourinho could not be happier.
Question marks will remain over Lukaku until the Belgian contributes against United's nearest rivals, but the former Everton man is showing signs of being the perfect replacement for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, even though the 24-year-old can still be rough around the edges at times.
Matic is going about his business in such a fashion that Ander Herrera has begun the season on the bench, but what will be exciting for United's fans is the prospect of the pair eventually teaming up in the centre of the park for the higher-profile games.
United do not have to face a direct title rival until the middle of October when they make the short trip to Liverpool, but if the results and performances continue to be produced until then, there is a realistic possibility that United could top the standings from start to finish.
Recent form: WW
Recent form (all competitions): LWW
Leicester City
© SilverHub
Leicester spent each moment of last season very much in the spotlight after their Premier League title triumph and exploits in the Champions League, but a return to some kind of normality can only benefit Shakespeare and his players.
The Foxes will always hold the tag of the former league champions but they now need to begin the next chapter and look to claim a top-10 position in the standings in May or have a run in a cup competition, both of which are more realistic expectations than causing the biggest surprise in the history of English football.
While Shakespeare was bitterly disappointed to throw away two leads away at Arsenal, the recently-appointed boss would have been delighted with how his squad ran out comfortable winners against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend and against Sheffield United in the EFL Cup in midweek.
Neither match set the imagination racing like fairytale trips to Atletico Madrid, but it would have been refreshing for all involved at Leicester that they can still deal with the bread-and-butter contests. It is a trend which needs to be maintained throughout this season.
Leicester's experiences of the past two years should prepare them for visits to Old Trafford but despite the increased quality in their ranks, there is no doubting that the East Midlands outfit will begin this encounter as clear underdogs.
The main plus from the first two games has been the application of Riyad Mahrez, who has made no secret of the fact that he wants a new challenge, but this match can act as a platform for the Algerian playmaker to showcase his talent to the world and perhaps tempt one of his admirers to meet Leicester's valuation.
Recent form: LW
Recent form (all competitions): LWW
Team News
© Offside
Barring any late fitness issues, Mourinho is expected to select the same starting lineup for the third successive match.
Victor Lindelof, Herrera and Anthony Martial are waiting in the wings, but the Portuguese is unlikely to tinker with a winning team.
Luke Shaw and Ashley Young are in contention to make the bench after representing the Under-23 side on Monday night.
Shakespeare has revealed that Wes Morgan is fit to take his place in the side after picking up a knock in recent days.
However, Shakespeare has suggested that he will err on the side of caution with Kelechi Iheanacho, who is still recovering from an injury which has hindered the start of his Foxes career.
Jamie Vardy will start after shaking up a minor issue picked up in the closing stages of the Brighton match.
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Jones, Blind, Matic, Pogba, Mata, Mkhitaryan, Rashford, Lukaku
Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs, Albrighton, James, Ndidi, Mahrez, Okazaki, Vardy
Head To Head
Saturday's match represents the 125th meeting between the two sides, with United having 63 wins to their name in comparison to 33 victories for Leicester.
Since the start of the new millennium there have only been 15 contests, with United's only defeat during that time being the famous 5-3 match at the King Power Stadium in September 2014.
United have prevailed in each of the last three games, with the corresponding fixture last season ending in a 4-1 triumph for United with each of their goals all coming in the first half.
We say: Manchester United 4-0 Leicester City
This may be seen as a cop-out prediction but we believe that there is a lot of value in predicting another 4-0 win for United. There is a fear factor about United at the moment and while we do not expect Leicester to lack ambition, the 2015-16 Premier League champions could get blown away should United net an early goal.
Darren Plant
