EVERTON V MANCHESTER UNITED PREVIEW

UNITED CAN STICK IT TO TOFFEES! At lunchtime on Saturday Chelsea and Manchester United will resume their quest for a further three points towards potential Premiership supremacy following their respective heroics in the Champions League in midweek. Chelsea enjoy home advantage against Bolton and are 1/3 for a home win, which is probably a fair reflection of their chance. Despite being away to Everton, meanwhile, United's prospects of victory are equally good if the stats are to be believed. The Red Devils have visited Goodison Park for 14 league fixtures since the inception of the Premiership and have collected three points on 11 occasions.. Pretty compelling stuff. And, providing the champions elect don't post a Pompey-esk performance, a display which saw them suffer defeat at Fratton Park in their most recent away fixture, they should be good for maximum points. Perhaps the biggest obstacle Sir Alex Ferguson will face ahead of his side's trip to Merseyside for the 12.45pm kick-off will be team selection. Indeed, there is no margin for error now and the Scotsman will need to call upon all of his undoubted managerial nous to circum-navigate his charges through a season-defining period what with their Champions League semi-final clash with the Old Lady next Wednesday. So no rest for these wicked Devils. The likes of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic are close to recovery, most imminently the former. Rio could probably make the starting XI at the weekend, but whether Sir Alex will opt to save him for next week's planned Italian Job or call upon his services for this encounter remains to be seen. The problem for United's decorated coach is prioritising. How do you prioritise a Premiership title over Champions League glory, and vice versa? Both are equally important for a plethora of reasons. If one thing is evident, it's that United's current crop are as determined as they are brilliant. Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have been rolling back the years with spring-heeled performances, while 'boy wonder' Wayne Rooney has returned to form in no uncertain terms recently. In light of Louis Saha's prolonged spell on the easy list, the 21-year-old will be relied upon to stick a few past the Toffees before infiltrating the Maldini Line at the San Siro next week. The burden of expectation will weigh heavy. But, then again, Rooney has broad shoulders. Despite being the best part of 30 points adrift of United in the Premiership pecking order, David Moyes has, once again, performed admirably in managerial terms to ensure that Everton fans are in with a major shout of seeing European football at Goodison next season. Arsenal's recent resurgence of form has all but ruled out a bold bid for the fourth and last Champions League berth, but currently occupying fifth spot, a passport to the Uefa Cup is theirs to lose. Everton are strong defensively on home soil, which is underlined by the fact they've conceded just 13 in 17 home league games - only the top three boast a better defensive record in their respective backyards. As such, the visitors' attacking prowess will be tested by a dogged back four, most likely to consist of Hibbert, Yobo, Stubbs and Lescott. Problem is, though, while they managed to stick four past Fulham here earlier in the month, goals don't seem to come naturally to Everton, even in light of the arrival of Andy Johnson. I am pretty sure that Moyes will send his troops into battle on Saturday with the mission being to collect a point from this game. And you it wouldn't be the biggest surprise, since the Toffees have beaten Liverpool and Arsenal at home already this term, and made Chelsea pull out all the stops when finally admitting defeat in a high-octane, five-goal thriller. However, if Man Utd are on song - and given what's at stake you'd imagine they will be - it's hard to envisage any back lines being able to contain their firing cannons. I could be wrong, but I do believe that Everton will play a very negative game, maybe even playing AJ as a sole striker. And, despite their lack of defensive resources at present, I'd be surprised if, especially under the pre-empted circumstances, Van der Sar were to beaten in this match. With this in mind, the percentage call is to have a punt with Paddy Power, who offer a best-priced 9/5 about the visitors winning to nil. Other options which appealed were draw/Man Utd and 0-1 in the correct score market, but the recommended bet looks the safest. Verdict - 2.50pts Man Utd to win to nil @ 9/5 (Paddy Power) #1 Betfair Bonus £25 Free Bet.#2 Ladbrokes £25 Free Bet.#3 Paddypower Bonus £20 Free Bet.