With Chelsea making a perfect start to its title defense, Manchester United and Liverpool can't afford another draw when they meet Sunday on the back of an unimpressive opening month of the season.
Chelsea has won four straight Premier League matches, but United has only won twice and is already four points adrift while Liverpool has just one victory and lags the leaders by seven.
United has thrown away four points in two games by conceding late equalizers, including throwing away a 3-1 lead in the 90th minute at Everton last weekend.
"Sunday is a big game - the disappointment of last Saturday has to resonate with the players," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "They can't make mistakes like that again."
United will be boosted by the return of Wayne Rooney, who was dropped last weekend over fears Everton fans would abuse the striker in light of a sex scandal, and defender Rio Ferdinand, who came back from a three-month injury layoff to play in the Champions League on Tuesday when United was held 0-0 by Rangers.
Ferguson views fixtures with Liverpool as the biggest in the season for United, with the northwest rivals sharing the record of 18 English titles.
It is United which looks closer to No. 19, having finished runners-up last season after a three-year winning streak. Liverpool, though, hasn't won the title since 1990 and Roy Hodgson has a lack of funds to strengthen the side he took control of in the offseason.
Liverpool's only win came against promoted West Bromwich, while it has lost to Manchester City and drawn with Arsenal and Birmingham.
Liverpool's hopes of winning will rely on striker Fernando Torres rediscovering his goal-scoring touch after being heavily criticized for a lackluster display at Birmingham last weekend.
"I'm afraid criticism is something he will have to learn to live with," Hodgson said. "Everything that happens at the club is put under a microscope and that includes player performances.
"Fernando Torres has no problems with that. He's an excellent player and is very much committed and focused on this season."
After the Old Trafford match, leader Chelsea should have little trouble disposing of Blackpool, which was thumped 6-0 by Arsenal last month, when it hosts the newcomers.
Arsenal will look to maintain the free-scoring form that produced a 6-0 Champions League win over Braga in midweek when it goes to Sunderland on Saturday.
The Gunners are second in the league after winning three and drawing one game at Liverpool.
"It is the start of the season and I think it is important that we take encouragement from what we are doing at the moment," manager Arsene Wenger said. "We will keep our feet on the ground and a good concentration. We have another big test now at Sunderland."
Manchester City is in desperate need of a win at Wigan on Sunday, with the league's biggest spenders only producing one win in its opening four matches.
"There has to be patience," assistant manager Brian Kidd said. "The boss (Roberto Mancini) has only been here a short period and this is a building job. It is going to take time.
"Unfortunately some of the players the boss has bought have not been available. They will enhance the team and the club itself when they are fit."
Jerome Boateng, Emmanuel Adebayor, Mario Balotelli and Joleon Lescott are all currently sidelined.
Tottenham hosts Wolverhampton needing to quickly recover from its Champions League debut against Werder Bremen on Tuesday, which ended 2-2. After winning their European playoff last month, Spurs marked their return to domestic action by losing at home to Wigan.
"These games are hard after Champions League games, and that was probably the biggest lesson we learned from the last game against Wigan," manager Harry Redknapp said. "We found ourselves struggling to beat Wigan, and Wolves will come on Saturday and make it difficult for us."
Also on Saturday, West Ham goes in search of its first point of the season at Stoke with manager Avram Grant missing due to the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, while Aston Villa will still be without Gerard Houllier in the dugout as it hosts Bolton as he completes his duties with the French football federation.
In the day's other matches, Blackburn hosts Fulham, Newcastle is at Everton and Birmingham plays at local rival West Brom.
