Lee Dixon: RvP-powered United to negotiate early season test

Lee Dixon
20 August 2012

RvP will give everyone at Old Trafford a boost

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There were mixed fortunes for the big guns of English football on the opening weekend but, while Lee Dixon expects a tough game for United at Everton, he can't see them falling behind City and Chelsea after the first round of Premier League action...

"If Van Persie carries on like last year all they, pretty much all they have to do is stop the other team from putting the ball in at the other end."

The first few weeks of the season are often simply about surviving as best as you can until form and familiarity kick in.

Two of the Premier League's best sides achieved that on opening weekend; two of them didn't.

City and Chelsea won, albeit in contrasting fashions, whereas the pressure is already on Arsene Wenger and Brendan Rodgers, however unfair that may be.

I expect Manchester United to join neighbours City and Roberto di Matteo's Chelsea in the winner's circle at the end of the final game of the Premier League's opening round.

I think there is a real buzz about United, after what's been a very big week for the club. Everybody at Old Trafford thinks that they have signed the player who tips the balance in their favour and you can see where they're coming from. If Van Persie carries on like last year all they, pretty much all they have to do is stop the other team from putting the ball in at the other end.

Sir Alex Ferguson will have built on the positivity at Old Trafford and I think they're halfway to winning this game. It won't be easy if only for the fact that David Moyes will be desperate for a strong start to the season for once in his Everton career!

We're set for a great night on Merseyside with an unbelievable atmosphere. It's a fantastic time of the year to be playing under the floodlights and the Goodison Park crowd will be giving it some.

Both teams boast strong defensive units and I see a tight, low-scoring game, with a lone goal separating the two and it wouldn't surprise me if that man was Van Persie (3.02/1 to score). Tailor your bets accordingly, but under 1.5 goals at 3.9 or the 1-0 scoreline (9.08/1) are my favourite ways of playing it.

City got through their first game yesterday afternoon and I just fancy United will match that to join their rivals on three points. A lot of people were watching the Etihad action to see if the champions could live up to expectations. I remember feeling like that after we won the league in 1998 and it can be nerve-wracking.

Even when City went behind I thought they could come back but it will still have been a hair-raising 90 minutes. Sometimes it's good to get a hard game like that as it can toughen you up.

All the teams are just getting through the first six games as best as they can. You can't do it any other way. If you want to hit the ground running you have to start the season back in the middle of the Euros!

Everybody is in the same boat, you've just to ride the choppy waters as best you can.