Premier League preview: Manchester United v Chelsea

English Premier League leaders Manchester United host third-placed Chelsea at Old Trafford in the match of the round on Sunday.

After succeeding Chelsea as champions last season, United have picked up where they left off in the new campaign, making a flying start to boast a 100 percent record from four league matches played.

A rejuvenated Wayne Rooney has led from the front with eight goals so far, including successive hat-tricks in the 8-2 thrashing of Arsenal and 5-0 win over Bolton.

Rooney has been ably assisted by newcomer Ashley Young, while youngsters Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck and Chris Smalling have all impressed.

United’s first slip came in the Champions League on Wednesday, when they were forced to come from behind and settle for a 1-1 draw away to Liga Sagres side Benfica.

Chelsea, who replaced double-winning manager Carlo Ancelotti with Portuguese prodigy Andres Villas-Boas in the off-season, have done enough, without matching United’s sparkling start.

They were held at Stoke on the opening day of the season, before labouring to victories over West Brom, Norwich and Sunderland.

Chelsea did at least make a winning start in the Champions League, dispatching Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

Newcomer Juan Mata, a 23.5 million pound signing from Valencia, netted in the victory over the German club.

But it has been the form of another Spaniard, former Atletico Madrid favourite Fernando Torres, who has dominated the headlines.

The striker, purchased from Liverpool for a record British transfer fee of 50 million pounds in January, is without a goal this season.

He courted a degree of controversy by apparently labelling his teammates old and slow during an interview given in Spanish earlier this month, but went some way to making amends by providing the assists for both Chelsea’s goals in the mid-week European victory.

It remains to be seen if Villas-Boas will afford the misfiring 27-year-old a starting berth in the eagerly-anticipated United clash.

Sir Alex Ferguson will be without Nemanja Vidic (calf), Rafael (shoulder), Cleverley (ankle) and Welbeck (hamstring) for the match.

Chelsea meanwhile are expected to miss only long-term absentee Michael Essien and the concussed Didier Drogba.