Manchester United play hosts to Sunderland at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, looking to continue closing in on the Premier League's top four.
It has been something of an indifferent season for the Red Devils thus far under the leadership of Jose Mourinho. However, three successive league wins have moved sixth-placed United to within four points of Arsenal in the final qualification spot for the Champions League.
Their latest success came against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns last weekend, where Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored both goals in a 2-0 win.
Meanwhile, the Black Cats also made a disappointing start to the campaign but have shown real signs of improvement in recent weeks.
Their 1-0 victory against Watford on Saturday was their fourth in their last seven fixtures, and David Moyes’ men lie just one point from safety ahead of the Scot’s return to his former hunting ground.
Here are three key battles that will decide where the match at Old Trafford will be won and lost….
Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs Lamine Kone
Ibrahimovic is Manchester United’s top goalscorer this season with 11 Premier League goals – 16 in all competitions – and Sunderland will need to stop the in-form Swede finding the net if they are to get a positive result at Old Trafford.
The 35-year-old has bagged three league goals in his last two matches – including both in the 2-0 victory at West Brom last weekend – and Black Cats defender Lamine Kone will be in for a tough battle on Boxing Day.
The centre-back is highly-rated but will need to be at his best against the brilliant Ibrahimovic.
Paul Pogba vs Didier Ndong
He may have taken a while to find his best position and some consistency on his return to Manchester United, but we are now starting to see why the Frenchman is the most expensive player in the world.
Pogba scored the opener and assisted Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the Red Devils’ winner in the 2-1 win against Crystal Palace, while he was named as the man of the match against West Brom after having the most shots, touches and making the highest number of passes of any United player.
The player who will be tasked with stopping the influence of the £89m man will be defensive midfielder Ndong, who cost the Black Cats a fraction of the world-record fee that brought Pogba back to Old Trafford - £13.6m – when he joined from Lorient during the summer.
Jermain Defoe vs Phil Jones
Much like Ibrahimovic for United, Defoe is Sunderland’s main goalscoring threat – shown by the fact that he has netted eight of their 15 Premier League goals this term.
A point from safety, you do have to wonder where the Mackems would be without their prolific striker, who they'll need to be on form if David Moyes is to pick up a positive result on his return to Old Trafford.
However, he will come up against an in-form centre-back in Phil Jones, who has become a regular under Jose Mourinho in recent weeks following injuries to the likes of Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling.