There’s no doubt Sunday’s big game at Old Trafford will have an impact on the title race but I can’t say I see it as a make-or-break game for either side. Defeat would definitely hit United harder than Chelsea but there’s plenty of time for either team to recover from a setback.

I have to admit I’m still puzzled that neither United or Chelsea have found top gear yet. We’ve been saying all season that they’ve only been ticking over but we’re now in January and it’s still the case. They’ve both got the results but neither have been at their best yet.

To a point, I think it’s case of after the Lord Mayor’s Show. Last season was a classic with the title race going down to the wire and the penalty shootout in Moscow in the Champions League final and I think both teams have suffered a bit of a hangover since then.

The key this season now will be which side can burst into life first. I’m still convinced one of them will overhaul Liverpool at the top of the table and we’ll have to wait and see which side can find that extra 20 per cent or so.

Sunday will be the first real battle, signalling the end of the phoney war, the team with the best record in the Premier League against the side with the best record on the road this season. It’s got draw written all over it.