SALFORD RED
09-11-2007, 12:39 AM
Man Utd v Blackburn
Old Trafford
Sunday, 4 November
Kick-off: 1500 GMT
BBC coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on Match of the Day.
Manchester United play the first Premier League match of Sir Alex Ferguson's 22nd year in charge.
United, buoyed by qualification to the knock-out stages of the Champions League, are seeking a sixth successive Premier League home victory, which would take them three points clear of Arsenal at the top, as the Gunners don't play away to Reading until Monday evening.
Blackburn, like United, have lost just one league match this season, and are searching for a 50th victory in this league under Mark Hughes.
Hughes, scored 162 goals in 472 games for the Red Devils, and won two league titles, three FA Cups, the Cup Winners' Cup and the League Cup with them.
Blackburn were doubled by Manchester United last season. The reverse was the case in the previous season, when Rovers picked up their only Premier League victory at Old Trafford to date; prevailing 1-2 on 24 September 2005 with a double from Morten Gamst Pedersen.
CLUB FORM
MANCHESTER UNITED
Club stats
Fixtures
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premier League fixtures)
1. Won seven and drawn one of the last eight in all competitions, since losing 0-2, home to Coventry in the third round of the Carling Cup on 26 September.
2. Unbeaten in nine Premier League matches. Won eight and drawn one since the 1-0 away defeat to Manchester City on 19 August.
3. One of three clubs with eight Premier League wins. The others are Arsenal and Manchester City.
4. Boasting the joint meanest defence in the Premier League, with six goals conceded in 12 outings, at one goal shipped every 180 minutes (three hours) on average. Liverpool have also conceded just six goals, but from 11 outings.
5. Opened the scoring in an unrivalled nine Premier League matches this season.
6. Managed seven clean sheets in the highest league. No club can beat that, although Chelsea can match it.
7. Only dropped points to Manchester City in the last 17 league clashes with fellow north-west clubs, since the odd goal in seven reverse to Blackburn on 1 February last year.
8. One of six clubs still holding an unbeaten home record in the Premier Division.
9. Hoping to add the scalp of Blackburn to those of Spurs, Sunderland, Chelsea, Wigan and Middlesbrough gained in the last five league outings at Old Trafford.
10. Middlesbrough's Jeremie Aliadiere is the only visiting player to have scored a Premier League goal at the Theatre of Dreams this season.
BLACKBURN ROVERS
Club stats
Fixtures
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premier League fixtures)
1. Undefeated in eight in all competitions (seven wins, one draw).
2. Unbeaten in five Premier League games; won four and drawn one since their only league defeat, 0-1, home to Portsmouth on 23 September.
3. The current tally of 22 points after 11 games is their best return since 1997-98, when they went on to finish sixth.
4. Used fewer players in Premier League competition this season than any other club; fielded just 18.
5. One of three clubs still holding an unbeaten away record in the Premier League. The others are Arsenal and Liverpool.
6. On the longest current run of eight Premier League games without defeat on the road.
7. Won four and drawn four league games away from Ewood Park, since losing 1-4, to Manchester United on 31 March.
8. Failed to score in one of the last 10 matches on their Premier League travels; 0-0 at Chelsea on 15 September.
KEY PLAYER NOTES
MANCHESTER UNITED
Cristiano RONALDO is Manchester United's top scorer with eight goals.
RONALDO, Wayne ROONEY and Carlos TEVEZ are the clubs top Premier League marksmen, with four each.
Louis SAHA has scored four goals in his last four league and cup appearances against Blackburn.
Ryan GIGGS is one short of 100 career league goals.
Rio FERDINAND is the only remaining player to have started all of Manchester United's Premier League matches this season.
If selected:-
Michael CARRICK will be making his 250th career league appearance (West Ham, Swindon, Birmingham, Tottenham and Manchester United).
BLACKBURN ROVERS
Benni McCARTHY is Blackburn's top scorer with eight goals, and the club's leading Premier League marksman with five.
Brad FRIEDEL has made 125 consecutive Premier League appearances for Blackburn, in a sequence that started at the beginning of the 2004-05 season.
David DUNN needs a hat-trick to total 50 career club goals (Blackburn and Birmingham).
Only FRIEDEL and David BENTLEY have played every minute of every one of Blackburn's league and cup matches this season.
If selected:-
McCARTNEY will be playing on the eve of his 30th birthday.
If on the field from the outset:-
BENTLEY will be making his 100th start in Blackburn colours.
Brett EMERTON will be making his 150th start in a Blackburn shirt.
HEAD TO HEAD
Manchester United staged a thrilling fightback with four second-half goals to beat Blackburn in this corresponding fixture last March and move a step closer to the completion of a ninth Premier League title.
The aggregate score for Manchester United's two victories over Blackburn last season was 5-1; it was 6-4 in Rovers' favour from the two league clashes in 2005-06.
Blackburn have won only once in 19 league and cup visits to the Theatre of Dreams since 1963.
Home and away
League (inc PL): Man United 39 wins, Blackburn 27, Draws 22
Prem: Man United 14 wins, Blackburn 5, Draws 7
at Man United only
League (inc PL): Man United 24 wins, Blackburn 9, Draws 11
Prem: Man United 9 wins, Blackburn 1, Draws 3
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Manchester United 4-1 Blackburn Rovers
31 March 2007 - Ref: Chris Foy
Man United scorers: Scholes 61, Carrick 73, Park 83, Solskjaer 90
Blackburn scorer: Derbyshire 29
REFEREE
Chris Foy (St Helens, Merseyside)
.
Old Trafford
Sunday, 4 November
Kick-off: 1500 GMT
BBC coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on Match of the Day.
Manchester United play the first Premier League match of Sir Alex Ferguson's 22nd year in charge.
United, buoyed by qualification to the knock-out stages of the Champions League, are seeking a sixth successive Premier League home victory, which would take them three points clear of Arsenal at the top, as the Gunners don't play away to Reading until Monday evening.
Blackburn, like United, have lost just one league match this season, and are searching for a 50th victory in this league under Mark Hughes.
Hughes, scored 162 goals in 472 games for the Red Devils, and won two league titles, three FA Cups, the Cup Winners' Cup and the League Cup with them.
Blackburn were doubled by Manchester United last season. The reverse was the case in the previous season, when Rovers picked up their only Premier League victory at Old Trafford to date; prevailing 1-2 on 24 September 2005 with a double from Morten Gamst Pedersen.
CLUB FORM
MANCHESTER UNITED
Club stats
Fixtures
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premier League fixtures)
1. Won seven and drawn one of the last eight in all competitions, since losing 0-2, home to Coventry in the third round of the Carling Cup on 26 September.
2. Unbeaten in nine Premier League matches. Won eight and drawn one since the 1-0 away defeat to Manchester City on 19 August.
3. One of three clubs with eight Premier League wins. The others are Arsenal and Manchester City.
4. Boasting the joint meanest defence in the Premier League, with six goals conceded in 12 outings, at one goal shipped every 180 minutes (three hours) on average. Liverpool have also conceded just six goals, but from 11 outings.
5. Opened the scoring in an unrivalled nine Premier League matches this season.
6. Managed seven clean sheets in the highest league. No club can beat that, although Chelsea can match it.
7. Only dropped points to Manchester City in the last 17 league clashes with fellow north-west clubs, since the odd goal in seven reverse to Blackburn on 1 February last year.
8. One of six clubs still holding an unbeaten home record in the Premier Division.
9. Hoping to add the scalp of Blackburn to those of Spurs, Sunderland, Chelsea, Wigan and Middlesbrough gained in the last five league outings at Old Trafford.
10. Middlesbrough's Jeremie Aliadiere is the only visiting player to have scored a Premier League goal at the Theatre of Dreams this season.
BLACKBURN ROVERS
Club stats
Fixtures
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premier League fixtures)
1. Undefeated in eight in all competitions (seven wins, one draw).
2. Unbeaten in five Premier League games; won four and drawn one since their only league defeat, 0-1, home to Portsmouth on 23 September.
3. The current tally of 22 points after 11 games is their best return since 1997-98, when they went on to finish sixth.
4. Used fewer players in Premier League competition this season than any other club; fielded just 18.
5. One of three clubs still holding an unbeaten away record in the Premier League. The others are Arsenal and Liverpool.
6. On the longest current run of eight Premier League games without defeat on the road.
7. Won four and drawn four league games away from Ewood Park, since losing 1-4, to Manchester United on 31 March.
8. Failed to score in one of the last 10 matches on their Premier League travels; 0-0 at Chelsea on 15 September.
KEY PLAYER NOTES
MANCHESTER UNITED
Cristiano RONALDO is Manchester United's top scorer with eight goals.
RONALDO, Wayne ROONEY and Carlos TEVEZ are the clubs top Premier League marksmen, with four each.
Louis SAHA has scored four goals in his last four league and cup appearances against Blackburn.
Ryan GIGGS is one short of 100 career league goals.
Rio FERDINAND is the only remaining player to have started all of Manchester United's Premier League matches this season.
If selected:-
Michael CARRICK will be making his 250th career league appearance (West Ham, Swindon, Birmingham, Tottenham and Manchester United).
BLACKBURN ROVERS
Benni McCARTHY is Blackburn's top scorer with eight goals, and the club's leading Premier League marksman with five.
Brad FRIEDEL has made 125 consecutive Premier League appearances for Blackburn, in a sequence that started at the beginning of the 2004-05 season.
David DUNN needs a hat-trick to total 50 career club goals (Blackburn and Birmingham).
Only FRIEDEL and David BENTLEY have played every minute of every one of Blackburn's league and cup matches this season.
If selected:-
McCARTNEY will be playing on the eve of his 30th birthday.
If on the field from the outset:-
BENTLEY will be making his 100th start in Blackburn colours.
Brett EMERTON will be making his 150th start in a Blackburn shirt.
HEAD TO HEAD
Manchester United staged a thrilling fightback with four second-half goals to beat Blackburn in this corresponding fixture last March and move a step closer to the completion of a ninth Premier League title.
The aggregate score for Manchester United's two victories over Blackburn last season was 5-1; it was 6-4 in Rovers' favour from the two league clashes in 2005-06.
Blackburn have won only once in 19 league and cup visits to the Theatre of Dreams since 1963.
Home and away
League (inc PL): Man United 39 wins, Blackburn 27, Draws 22
Prem: Man United 14 wins, Blackburn 5, Draws 7
at Man United only
League (inc PL): Man United 24 wins, Blackburn 9, Draws 11
Prem: Man United 9 wins, Blackburn 1, Draws 3
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Manchester United 4-1 Blackburn Rovers
31 March 2007 - Ref: Chris Foy
Man United scorers: Scholes 61, Carrick 73, Park 83, Solskjaer 90
Blackburn scorer: Derbyshire 29
REFEREE
Chris Foy (St Helens, Merseyside)
.