Manchester United have the opportunity to strike the first blow in the English Premier League title race this weekend when they could move 10 points clear with victory over Fulham tonight - but they will have to cope without star striker Wayne Rooney following his suspension for a foul-mouthed outburst into the TV cameras.
Rooney's absence might be overplayed, as United's record without him in the starting line-up is eye-catchingly good. Since the start of last season, Sir Alex Ferguson's side have won 11 out of 16 and lost only one when he hasn't started. United's points average in those games is 2.31, slightly more than the 2.22 average with Rooney.
Fulham have had the good fortune to face a Rooney-less United in both league meetings this season and on the first occasion, at Craven Cottage in August, they twice pegged back United to secure a 2-2 draw. That marked the start of United's draw tendency on the road, but it has been a different story at Old Trafford.
It is just over a year since United's last home defeat in the Premier League, 2-1 by Chelsea, and in the interim they have won 16 out of 17, scoring 47 goals to 10.
United haven't lost at home to a team that finished outside the top six for more than three years and overall - since the start of the 2007-08 season - they have won a remarkable 48 out of 53 against visitors to Old Trafford from outside the top six.
That makes United unopposable even in Rooney's absence and in the past year the go-to alternative to the straight win has been the United win-win on the HaFu, which has come up in 14 of their 16 home wins in that period. Eight of their 11 games this season against sides from outside the top six have had over 2.5 goals, so that is another option at better odds than the straight win.
