Manchester United will be looking to maintain the pressure on the top four when they travel to the bet365 Stadium to take on Stoke City on Saturday.

The Red Devils are currently four points adrift of the Champions League spots, but Stoke are only three places behind and will hope to hang on to their position in the top-half heading into February.

Stoke

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Following a dreadful start to the season in which they failed to win any of their opening seven games and picked up just three points from a possible 21 in that time, Stoke will be feeling pretty happy with where they are in the table at the moment.

A 3-1 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light last weekend saw the Potters climb into the top half, and while a relegation battle threatened to be an issue during those early weeks, they now sit a comfortable 11 points clear of the bottom three.

The final game of Stoke's season-opening seven-match winless streak came against Manchester United, since when they have won seven and lost just four of their 14 games - with three of those defeats coming against teams currently in the top four.

Stoke's record against such daunting opposition may be a concern heading into this match, though, with the Potters having failed to beat any of the teams above them in the table so far this season and picking up just two points from the 24 on offer in that time.

Mark Hughes's side have, however, won both of their league games so far in 2017, beating Watford and Sunderland respectively, and a third straight win on Saturday could lift them up to eighth in the table if West Bromwich Albion slip up against the Black Cats.

Hughes is bidding for his 50th Premier League win as Stoke boss against his former club, and his side boast an improving home record too with just one defeat in their last eight league outings in front of their own fans.

That run includes an ongoing four-match unbeaten streak which stretches back to November and has seen three clean sheets, and should the Potters once again avoid defeat this weekend then it would be their longest run at home in the league since April 2014.

This match is the beginning of a difficult but potentially crucial period for Stoke and their hopes of a top-eight finish, with their next three games all coming against the teams currently directly above them in the table.

Recent form: DDLLWW
Recent form (all competitions): DLLWLW

Man Utd

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Just as back-to-back wins have enabled Stoke to look up the table, Manchester United's gaze is firmly locked on the Champions League places having hauled themselves back into contention in recent weeks.

A run of just two league wins from 11 games between September and early December saw them drop off the pace, but they have since returned to form and have taken 19 points from the last 21 on offer to close the gap on the top four.

Whether the 12-point gap that separates them from league leaders Chelsea will be too much to chase down remains to be seen, but they have ensured that they are at least in the conversation when it comes to the all-important Champions League spots.

Even so, with the star-studded nature of the squad at Jose Mourinho's disposal, sixth place is still a disappointing position to be sitting in for a club of United's stature, and it certainly doesn't match up with the Red Devils regaining their status as the world's richest club.

In a week which has seen former boss Louis van Gaal hit the headlines for an apparent retirement and quick denial, it is perhaps apt to see how much progress United have made since the Dutchman left the club and was replaced by Mourinho.

United finished in fifth place under Van Gaal - one better than their current position - while at the same stage of last season they were only two points off the Champions League places, although they still sat in sixth and were actually six points worse off than they are this time around.

In truth, the main progress has been to do with the feeling around the club. While many were unhappy with Van Gaal, the arrivals of Mourinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and co - and the rumoured future arrival of stars such as Antoine Griezmann - has helped to restore a feelgood factor at Old Trafford.

Recent results have certainly helped too, and United are currently 16 matches unbeaten across all competitions, including 12 in the Premier League stretching back to October - their best run in the top flight since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Victory this weekend would give United a fifth straight away win for the first time since October 2012, and the Red Devils actually have a better record on the road this season than they do in front of their own fans.

A return to winning ways following last weekend's 1-1 draw with Liverpool would also see them temporarily leapfrog Manchester City, who are in action on Saturday evening, and move within one point of fourth-placed Arsenal, who don't play until Sunday.

Recent form: WWWWWD
Recent form (all competitions): WWWWWD

Team News

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Stoke are expected to keep faith with the resurgent Peter Crouch for this match after he took his Premier League tally to 99 with the third goal in his side's win over Sunderland last weekend.

The big striker has just two goals in 23 appearances against United, but with Wilfried Bony and Mame Biram Diouf away at the Africa Cup of Nations and Jonathan Walters now sidelined with a knee injury, Crouch has established himself as Hughes's first choice at the moment.

Stoke will also be without Geoff Cameron, Stephen Ireland and Jack Butland through injury, while Ramadan Sobhi is away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Hughes is likely to keep changes to a minimum, which could mean that the likes of Giannelli Imbula, Ibrahim Afellay and the fit-again Bojan Krkic - the latter of whom has been linked with a January move to Middlesbrough - once again miss out.

United, meanwhile, will be without Eric Bailly due to his involvement in Africa, while Luke Shaw remains a fitness doubt following his recent injury troubles.

Wayne Rooney will be hoping for another chance to break Sir Bobby Charlton's goalscoring record for the club, but he may once again be forced to settle for a place on the bench.

Ibrahimovic, on the other hand, will lead the line having taken his tally to 19 across all competitions and 14 in the league with the equaliser against Liverpool. The Swede's goals have won United 11 points this season - no player has won more for his side.

Stoke possible starting lineup:
Grant; Johnson, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters; Whelan, Adam, Shaqiri, Allen, Arnautovic; Crouch

Man Utd possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Valencia, Jones, Rojo, Darmian; Herrera, Carrick, Pogba; Mkhitaryan, Ibrahimovic, Mata

Head To Head

Unsurprisingly, United have had the better of this fixture down the years, but in recent times it has been a lot more even, with two wins apiece and two draws in the last six meetings.

The Potters are also unbeaten in their last three home league games against United, winning two and drawing one, and should they avoid defeat again this weekend then it would be the visitors' longest run without a win at Stoke since April 1964.

The corresponding fixture last season finished 2-0 to Stoke - the only time in the last 21 league meetings between these two that United have failed to score - while the reverse at Old Trafford earlier this season ended in a 1-1 draw, with Joe Allen cancelling out Anthony Martial's opener.

Mourinho has lost two of his three league visits to this stadium - his joint-highest loss percentage at any Premier League ground, level with the Riverside Stadium.

We say: Stoke 1-2 Man Utd

Stoke have improved as the season has progressed, but the same can be said for United and with an in-form Ibrahimovic they have the firepower to win tricky matches like this one. The visitors know that they can ill-afford any more slip-ups this season, and we're backing them to avoid one at the bet365 Stadium this weekend.

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