- Straight Talk by Steve McMahon -

MANCHESTER United must keep a cool head and pick up all three points when they take on Liverpool this weekend.

 The Red Devils will no doubt be pleased that they go into their highly anticipated clash against Liverpool seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.

 With nearest challengers Manchester City hit by the loss of Sergio Aguero to injury, Manchester United are perfectly poised to extend their advantage should Roberto Mancini’s men fail the test presented by Arsenal.

 While that would be an ideal outcome, a winning result for his team is likely to be the only thing on Alex Ferguson’s mind this weekend.

 The club’s supporters would prefer to have Wayne Rooney to call upon in the game, but one must acknowledge that the Red Devils have not done badly in his absence.

 With captain Nemanja Vidic slotting himself back into the heart of defence and an intimidating strikeforce led by Robin van Persie, United will be backed by most pundits to come out on top in what is sure to be a heated clash.

 Not one lacking in confidence, new Reds signing Daniel Sturridge will look to prove his mettle to the fans when he makes his Premier League bow for the club in this fiery fixture.

 The 23-year-old is a talented player who simply got lost in the star-studded ranks of Chelsea. Now that he has arrived at Anfield, he should concentrate on putting on his best displays to make up for lost time.

 Although Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has hinted at a striking role for Sturridge, shifting the in-form Luis Suarez away from his centralised position to accommodate the Englishman is a gamble I am unsure about.

 Suarez plays best when he is given the freedom to roam and torment central defenders. Restricting him to specific areas in and around the box could see his influence on the game diminish.

 Plagued by inconsistency during the latter half of December, the Reds have managed to put together a three-game winning run since the turn of the year and will be desperate to keep the momentum going at Old Trafford.

 However, dropping three points is unlikely to be a circumstance Ferguson wants to deal with either, especially after watching City claw back into the title race last season.

 Launching a title challenge is realistically not an issue for Arsenal, a team who should probably give themselves a pat on the back if they finish in the top four this season.

 The Gunners will need to fend off Chelsea, Tottenham, Everton and West Brom for a place in the Champions League, and I fancy the other two sides from London to finish ahead of Arsene Wenger’s squad. With the club’s fans baying for silverware, it is perhaps in Wenger’s best interests to turn his attentions to the FA Cup or Champions League, instead of harbouring dreams of lifting the Premier League trophy once more.

 While Gunners fans are united in their thirst for trophies, they are divided when it comes to Theo Walcott’s request to play as a striker. Personally, I do not believe Walcott has what it takes to fulfil his forward dream.

 While he is most certainly pacey, he does not have the footballing intelligence or instinct to carry Arsenal’s striking ambitions on his shoulders. The former Southampton man should work on perfecting the consistency of his crossing instead, an attribute that could see him contribute much more to the Gunners’ cause than playing in his desired position.

 Missing the services of Aguero for their visit to the Emirates Stadium, Mancini is expected to name Mario Balotelli in his squad. The team’s critics will jump at the opportunity to highlight the recent training ground bust-up between the two in the run-up to the game, but I think the impact of the incident will be minimal.

 It is clear that Mancini treats the forward like a favoured son and Balotelli is no closer to the City exit than he was before the argument, especially with Sheikh Mansour’s reported backing.

 In my opinion, the former Inter Milan player is not worth all the fuss surrounding him and I am not sure why a title-challenging club like City would bother to retain someone who has been a source of unrest for most of his time in Manchester. 

 The club’s owners should be less than pleased with the trouble Balotelli has caused, instead of perceiving it as a characteristic that raises the profile of the club.

 Perhaps the 22-year old could prove me wrong by scoring the match winner against Arsenal on Sunday because his team cannot afford to leave empty-handed if they are to keep up the pressure on United.

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 <i>Former Liverpool and England international Steve McMahon is a football expert with ESPN. Catch him on ‘The Verdict’ at 8pm and on ESPN’s coverage of the Barclays Premier League.</i>

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