Sir Alex Ferguson has sounded ebullient this week. There can be no doubt that the purchase of Robin van Persie from Arsenal gives him an array of forwards that others will envy, but the implication was that Manchester United are not receding into the shadows merely because Manchester City are Premier League champions. He was also indicating once more that he is at peace with the policies of the owners, the Glazers. Everton, however, could cause United disquiet on Monday night in a demanding fixture at Goodison. Kevin McCarra

Venue Goodison Park, Monday 8pm

Tickets £35-42 (0871 663 1878)

Last season Everton 0 Man Utd 1

Referee Andre Marriner

Last season's matches 22 Y76, R5, 3.68 cards per game

Odds Everton 7-2 Man Utd 11-12 Draw 5-2

Everton

Subs from Mucha, Distin, Hibbert, Barkley, Gueye, Vellios, Anichebe, Duffy, McAleny, Coleman, Francisco

Doubtful Fellaini (groin), Gibson (thigh)

Injured None

Suspended None

Disciplinary record (last season) Y60 R1

Leading scorer (last season) Jelavic 9

Manchester United

Subs from Lindegaard, Valencia, Nani, Anderson, Berbatov, Giggs, Hernández, Welbeck, Cleverley, Powell, Macheda

Doubtful None

Injured Evans (ankle, 25 Aug), Jones (back, 15 Sep), Smalling (metatarsal, Oct), Fletcher (bowel, unknown)

Suspended None

Disciplinary record (last season) Y50 R1

Leading scorer (last season) Rooney 27

Match pointers

• United have not lost their first game of the season since Chelsea beat them 1-0 in 2004

• Everton have won just one of their last 14 top-flight games against United, losing nine times in that run

• In the last two seasons, United have twice gone into the final 10 minutes of a match with Everton leading by two goals and ended up drawing

• Nikica Jelavic was Everton's top scorer in the league last season despite not playing his first game until February

• David de Gea ended last season with the best saves-to-shots ratio (77.9%) in the Premier League