Manchester United will look to make it three English Premier League victories in a row when they host Newcastle at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Two 1-0 wins to start the Premier League season have put Manchester United in a solid position, with Louis Van Gaal allowed more room and time to find his team's rhythm and attacking verve as a result.
While the performances in those 1-0 wins have not been top notch by any sense of the imagination, what cannot be denied is that Manchester United are one of only four teams to have won their first two matches this season – the other three being Manchester City, Liverpool and Leicester City.
Winning is what matters most, particular at the start of the season, and Manchester United will now look to build some more momentum when Steve McLaren's Magpies come calling.
"We must continue our good start," Chris Smalling, who has been impressive in the first two games, helping Manchester United keep cleansheets, was quoted by the club's official website. "It is another home game and I think we have got to assert ourselves early on.
"I think it is good that we get to play first again, as hopefully it will allow us to set the benchmark for the weekend."
While Manchester United have made a few waves with their summer signings, Newcastle haven't been too shoddy in that department either, with Florian Thauvin joining the likes of Chancel Mbemba, Georginio Wijnaldum, Ivan Toney and Aleksandr Mitrovic at St. James' Park.
McLaren has struggled a little to imbibe these new players into his squad – the fact that he is in his first season has also played a part in the team's slow start – which has shown in the draw and loss that Newcastle have picked up so far this season.
A first win at Old Trafford is just the kind of fillip that a team can thrive on, but it will be far from easy against this Manchester United team that look quite keyed-in defensively.
"It's fantastic, many people would think it's not a good fixture for us with our new look squad but it's going to be a good chance for us really up our performance," McLaren, a former assistant under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, said.
"We took a step back last week after a promising start against Southampton but now it's about moving forward in terms of our performance, attitude and the football we play. Hopefully then we can become a side that teams will start to dread playing.
"The players we've brought in are winners and they will be wanting to start winning games as soon as possible, starting at Old Trafford."
Van Gaal will still be without Phil Jones, who is recovering from illness, while the manager also admitted Marcos Rojo is still to build up his full match fitness. Bastian Schweinsteiger, though, could be in line for his first Premier League start.
McLaren remains without Sylvain Marveaux, Paul Dummett and Emanuel Riviere, while Vurnon Anita, Moussa Sissoko and Luuk De Jong are doubtful starters.
Where to Watch Live
The English Premier League game between Manchester United and Newcastle United is set to begin at 5.15 pm IST (12.45 pm BST, 7.45 am ET). Live coverage in India will be on Star Sports 2, with the live streaming options on Hotstar and Starsports online.
Watch the match live in the UK on BT Sport, while all the action can also be caught live online on Watch BT Sport or by downloading the BT Sport App.
Viewers in the US can catch Manchester United vs Newcastle live in the morning on NBCSN, with the live stream option on NBC Sports Live Extra. Australia viewers can catch the EPL game live on Fox Sports, while the online live streaming options are on Fox Sports On Demand and Foxtel Play.
