Handshakes could overshadow football for the second straight Premier League weekend when Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra meet for the first time since an angry pre-match clash last season inflamed tensions between English giants Liverpool and Manchester United.
Tomorrow’s match between the country’s two most successful clubs will already be an emotional occasion, given that it’s Liverpool’s first at Anfield since the release of the Hillsborough report last week that revealed damning new evidence about Britain’s worst sporting disaster.
A series of tributes are planned and with players under orders to respect the occasion, all eyes will be on whether Evra and Suarez shake hands in the traditional pre-match protocol following their racism feud that erupted last year.
The last time they came face to face - at Old Trafford in February - Suarez shunned the outstretched hand of Evra, the player he was found guilty of repeatedly racially abusing during a Premier League match four months earlier.
An already-hostile atmosphere ratcheted up a few notches, with Evra initially physically confronting the Uruguay striker before the pair clashed again outside the dressing rooms at halftime - forcing police to intervene.
More than the Suarez-Evra situation, which comes a week after Anton Ferdinand failed to shake hands with John Terry in a Queens Park Rangers-Chelsea game to continue another racism row, it’s the potential fans’ reaction to the Hillsborough tributes that has dominated the pre-match agenda this week.
“I am aware of the sensitivity of the day. Everybody is,” United captain Nemanja Vidic said. “All over the world they will be watching this game.
“It is probably the biggest derby and we have to show we are capable of keeping a good atmosphere and being a good example to the kids. We both have a history and we’re both respected. We have to keep it like that.”
Ferguson said United are “totally supportive” of Liverpool since the new findings about Hillsborough, which exonerated Liverpool fans from any blame for the death of 96 of the club’s supporters in the infamous stadium crush in 1989.
“It is going to be a very emotional day on Sunday and we will support them in every way we can,” Ferguson said.
Rival captains Steven Gerrard and Vidic will release 96 balloons shortly before kick-off in memory of those who died at Hillsborough, while there will be several crowd mosaics and a banner with the words “The Truth” will be displayed at the famous Kop end.
“It is our first home game and the clubs have been working very hard to commemorate the work which has gone on with all the families,” Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said.
The match has huge significance in football terms, too.
After their worst start to a league season in 50 years, Liverpool are languishing just above the bottom three with just two points from four games.
United, meanwhile, have won their last three league matches to lie a point behind early leaders Chelsea and a point ahead of Arsenal and defending champions Manchester City.
City and Arsenal face each other at Etihad Stadium tomorrow with their unbeaten starts on the line.
Arsenal's newfound defensive resilience will be put to the test in the English Premier League tomorrow against a Manchester City team that is set to feature fit-again striker Sergio Aguero.
The only goals Arsenal has conceded in five matches this season have been from a penalty in the 2-1 win over Montpellier in the Champions League, and from a goalkeeping error by Wojciech Szczesny in last weekend's 6-1 rout of Southampton.
Much of the credit for the team's obduracy at the back has gone to Steve Bould, a member of the famously stingy Arsenal defence of the 1990s who was hired as assistant coach in the offseason.
"We have had a decent start to the season and we have kept the run going so it's important allround, for the whole season," Bould said. "We will go to Manchester City with a bit of confidence. It is better being this way, but it is a proper test. It is where we want to be and hopefully we can come away saying we did OK again."
It is surely no coincidence that having Bould around the training ground has led to the team being tougher for opponents to break through.
Arsenal's defensive solidity contrasts with City's frailties at the back, with Roberto Mancini's Premier League champions winning just two of their five competitive games.
City are reeling from throwing away a 2-1 lead at Real Madrid on Tuesday in the last few minutes to lose their Champions League opener 3-2.
Midfielder Samir Nasri is set to miss playing his former club Arsenal after limping out of the Madrid match with a hamstring problem, but Aguero is fit again after a month-long absence with a knee injury.
At the other end of the standings, Southampton look to pick up their first points of the season when they host Aston Villa Tomorrow’s other amtches see Newcastle host Norwich and QPR travel across London to play Tottenham, who are seeking a second straight win under new manager Andre Villas-Boas.
Premier League
Today
Swansea City-Everton
Chelsea-Stoke City
Southampton-Aston Villa
West Bromwich Albion-Reading
West Ham United-Sunderland
Wigan Athletic-Fulham
Tomorrow
Liverpool-Manchester U
Newcastle U-Norwich City
Manchester C-Arsenal
Tottenham H-QPR
Championship
Yesterday
Blackburn Rovers-Middlesbrough 1-2
Today
Crystal Palace-Cardiff City
Derby County-Burnley
Ipswich Town-Charlton Athletic
Leeds United-Nottingham F
Millwall-Brighton and Hove Albion
Peterborough-Wolves
Sheffield Wednesday-Bolton
Watford-Bristol City
Birmingham City-Barnsley
Tomorrow
Leicester City-Hull City
Monday
Blackpool-Huddersfield T