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It's the FA Cup third round, the stage where the Premier League clubs enter the competition, and nothing catches as the eye as Liverpool's visit to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Sunday.

It's the latest edition of an old rivalry. History shows that this fixture brings out the hair-trigger tempered personality in everyone - players, management and fans. Add to that the drama of an FA Cup and the stakes couldn't be higher - a win/loss against a bitter rival could make/break a team's season.

It has been a tumultuous week for Liverpool. Losses against Wolves and Blackburn proved to be the final straw and their manager, Roy Hodson, departed on 'mutual consent'. What Liverpool fans will be pleased about is that their former player and manager, and a local hero, Kenny Dalglish aka 'King Kenny', has been given the club's reigns till the end of the season.

Dalglish takes over a Liverpool side in disarray - an unbalanced squad in the middle of a horrible patch of form and a punctured confidence. Those trying to predict the outcome against league leaders United had a no-brainer. However, 'King Kenny's' arrival could just provide the emotional rallying required to pull the Merseyside club back on track.

Dalglish, returning to the hot-seat he left 20 years ago, has a real challenge in getting the best out of his players, especially Fernando Torres who once did the unthinkable and challenged Steven Gerrard as the Liverpool fans' favorite. Dalglish though, will have the backing of the fans, unlike Hodgson who never quite had their full backing.

However, it's a tricky game for him to make his return. Manchester United, have been beaten just once this season when they fielded a weakened against West Ham in the Carling Cup. Most importantly, United are yet to reach top gear. They are grinding out wins without playing particularly well - a sign of a great team. Berbatov is in red-hot form, while Nani's performances have made Cristiano Ronaldo an old memory.

Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, is cautious about Liverpool, despite their poor form. United, who haven't won the trophy since 2004, went out in a shock defeat to lower division side Leeds last season and Sir Alex admitted that he wouldn't take chances against Liverpool.

He said, It's a cup-tie and there are shocks in cup-ties. They've been there since it started. Great reminders are when Hereford beat Newcastle. It happened with Yeovil Town, York City over the years. Bournemouth beat Manchester United. The FA Cup is a tournament you can never be sure about. We made a mistake last year of picking a team that we thought would be good enough to beat Leeds.

We had a reminder that the FA Cup has shocks in it. We had one last year. We hope we don't get one this year. It's a tournament you can't take for granted. We did last year and we got a reminder. It's the first time I'd lost a third-round tie since I came to the club. It didn't sit well with me. I was sick for a few days, I didn't enjoy it. Hopefully I will enjoy this better.

As Ferguson fears, upsets are likely in the FA Cup. Against Liverpool, he will be wary of Dalglish's effect on both players and fans. Though doubts remain over whether 'The King' can manage a side in the modern day (his last job was at Newcastle before he was sacked in 1998) he will prove to be an illustrious figure in this battle.

The last time the two met, Liverpool pegged back two goals through Steven Gerrard to equalize though they eventually lost after a Dimitar Berbatov hat-trick gave United a 3-2 win. However, there was no 'King Kenny' around in the manager's dug-out back then. The stage is set for a classic.

Team News -

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney faces a race against time to be fit for clash while Ferguson will asses Edwin Van der Sar's condition who is out due to flu. Scholes and John O'Shea are both out injured.

The big news for Liverpool is that Daniel Agger will replace Sotirios Kyrgiakos while Dirk Kuyt could be recalled into the starting line-up meaning either Joe Cole or Maxi Rodriguez could be dropped to the bench.

Facts -

Manchester United hold the slender lead in terms of head-to-head meetings having won 70, lost 60 and drawn 50 of their 180 meetings with Liverpool. They have scored 250 goals. United have the better record in recent meetings, winning the last two encounters. However, Liverpool have won the previous three.

Prediction -

The tie was already one to look-out for before Dalglish's arrival, considering the bitter-rivalry between the teams. It is even more so after his appointment. However, though emotion will rally Liverpool, it will be tough for them against a high-flying Manchester United at Old Trafford. A hard-fought 2-1 win for the home-side seems likely.

Follow the IBTimes minute-by-minute reports of the match between Manchester United and Liverpool by clicking here!

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