Manchester United have been ever-present in the top flight of English football since 1975 - only Arsenal and Liverpool have been ever-present for longer. This season is Newcastle's 31st season in the top flight since Man United's promotion 1975 meaning that this fixture has a lot of history including recent history.

Saturday's match will be the 164th time the two sides will play each other. The last of which came in January 2016 in a thrilling 3-3 draw on Tyneside. Paul Dummett, who hasn't scored since, grabbed a last minute equaliser as he struck the ball first time into the top corner from just outside the box. I watched that game in a pub near where I live in Swansea with a mate who's a big Man United fan (but he is from Manchester). When Dummett scored, I could not contain myself. Funny thing is, I found out, a few days later, that the landlord of the pub was a Man United fan. To sum it up in few words, I haven't been in since.

Facts and Figures

All Competitions

Man United wins: 83

Newcastle wins: 41

Draws: 39

Premier League

Man United wins: 25

Draws: 14

Newcastle wins: 5

Premier League at Man United

Man United wins: 13

Draws: 8

Newcastle wins: 1

Previous ten (all competitions)

Man United wins: 6 (20 goals)

Newcastle wins: 2 (12 goals)

Draws: 2

Biggest win (in this fixture)

Man United 1 - 7 Newcastle United (10/09/1927)

Seven goals is understandably the most amount of goals we have scored past the Red Devils in one game. However, it did occur on two occasions. The second time came just three years (and three days to be precise) after thrashing the red half of Manchester 7-1 in September 1927. On 13th September 1930, an 11-goal glut saw Newcastle win 7-4 at Old Trafford in what is, still to this day, the highest scoring match between the two sides.

Biggest defeats (in this fixture)

Man United 6 - 0 Newcastle United (04/05/1968)

Man United 6 - 0 Newcastle United (12/01/2008)

The latter of those two defeats listed was the first game after Sam Allardyce was sacked as manager which left Nigel Pearson to take caretaker charge for the game at Old Trafford. Things seemed to be going alright to begin with by keeping score goalless throughout the first half. However, a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick influenced a riot in the second half.

It's a game that both sets of supporters are really keen for. Rafa Benitez, of course, spent six years at Man United's major rivals, Liverpool during which time, many words were exchanged between Rafa and then manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. However, times change in football as Jose Mourinho will take on his predecessor at Chelsea.