Newcastle United head to Old Trafford this Sunday with the aim of leapfrogging Manchester United in the Premier League standings by the time the weekend is over. The Magpies sit just one point and one place behind Erik Ten Hag's side heading into Sunday's clash after an impressive start to the season on Tyneside.
TV bosses may not have chosen the game for Super Sunday viewing but the encounter still has the potential to be box office if history is anything to go by. And there are some interesting subplots to keep an eye on in Manchester this weekend.
Firstly, it is the form of Red Devils marquee signing Antony, who has hit the ground running following his £86m transfer in August. The Brazilian has found the net in each of his three Premier League appearances so far, becoming the first Manchester United player to achieve that feat.
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Antony's form gives Eddie Howe another question to ponder when it comes to a position currently up for grabs at Newcastle. Both Dan Burn and Matt Targett have occupied the left-back role so far this term, with the former given the nod in recent back-to-back victories.
However, Saturday's win over Brentford saw Burn, 30, put in arguably his weakest performance of what has been a solid campaign so far. As such, sections of the St James' Park faithful will want to see first choice left-back Targett return to the fold if fully fit, with the aim of keeping Antony quiet across 90 minutes.
Moving slightly across the Newcastle backline, Sven Botman could potentially come up against his footballing idol at Old Trafford this weekend. Speaking during a recent interview, the Dutchman admitted Cristiano Ronaldo was the player he admired most as a young up and coming footballer.
Ronaldo has been out of favour since Ten Hag's arrival over the summer but has started in recent Europa League ties, including the 1-0 win over Omonia Nicosia on Thursday evening. The Portuguese legend's chances of starting against Newcastle have also been bolstered by the recent injury to Anthony Martial.
On having to play against Ronaldo, Botman recently said: “Just any game, it will be normal. Last season, for example, I played against Paris with Messi, Neymar and Mbappe, you look at them on TV playing FIFA with them. But in the game, you are the same like every other player.”
Finally, there is the clash of the Brazilians in the middle of the park. Bruno Guimaraes and Casemiro may be close allies in the national setup but the duo will potentially be doing battle in central midfield this weekend. Casemiro has had to be patience since his arrival in the Premier League but started from the outset on Thursday evening, with Ten Hag often reluctant to make wholesale changes to winning sides.
Speculation was rife that Real Madrid wanted Guimaraes to replace his fellow countryman earlier this year after the Manchester United transfer was agreed. The Spanish giants will no doubt be keeping an eye on the Newcastle midfielder on Sunday to see how he deals with the challenge of matching the former Bernabeu hero.
When he was still at Lyon, Guimaraes was quizzed over his relationship with Casemiro and constant comparisons between the two Brazilian stars. “I am not his rival, but I am competition. We are talking about a truly great player here," he responded. "Casemiro has achieved so many things in Europe, he has won so much, whilst I am merely just starting out."
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