By DPA
London : After a faltering start to the season, defending champions Manchester United can hit the top of the English Premier League table for the first time this season when they host Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford Saturday.
With leaders Arsenal and chasers Manchester City and Liverpool not in action until Sunday, United can steal a march on their rivals with three points over a Wigan side past which they scored six goals in two games last season.
They will have to make do with a makeshift midfield, however, with Michael Carrick having joined Owen Hargreaves and Darren Fletcher on the sidelines because of a fractured elbow.
Their absence will cause manager Alex Ferguson a few headaches but he is just as concerned at their lack of firepower.
Having rattled in 83 goals last season at well over two per game, United have found the net just seven times in eight games this season, but they have eked out five 1-0 wins to lie second, two points behind Arsenal, though they have played a game more.
That, though, is not good enough for the Scot, who wants his team to play attractive football.
“It’s a disease,” he said. “I’m trying to get a vaccine for it.”
United defender Rio Ferdinand echoed his sentiments.
“The whole heritage of Manchester United is based on attacking football, free-flowing football,” Ferdinand said. “But at the moment we’ll take what we are given and we’ll work on it on the training ground.”
Saturday’s other game offers Aston Villa the chance to move up to fifth, for 24 hours at least, as they entertain West Ham United, who sit just two places and one point behind them in the table.
Whatever United manage, however, unbeaten Arsenal will expect to be top come Sunday night as they host Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium, with manager Arsene Wenger even talking about his side in the same breath as the one that went through the 2003-04 season unbeaten.
“We have to see how long we can extend this run,” he said. “We can try to be inspired by the kind of consistency we showed in 2004. Right now it is too early to compare. We went 49 games undefeated, there is still a huge difference. So let’s go step by step.”
Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Manchester City side will be looking to maintain their surprisingly good start to the season when they host Middlesbrough, while fourth-placed Liverpool have to bounce back from a shock UEFA Champions League defeat to Marseille by beating Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.
“We’ve got a big game now Sunday and we want to go out on a win before the international break,” defender Jamie Carragher said.
Chelsea, languishing in eighth place, seven points off the pace, will hope to build on their Champions League win away to Valencia midweek when they travel to struggling Bolton Wanderers.
The return of Ricardo Carvalho and John Terry helped to shore up their defence, while Frank Lampard is close to a comeback after injury.
Fifth-placed Everton face a tricky test with a trip to Newcastle United, while Blackburn Rovers will be out to maintain their solid start to the season with a win over Birmingham City.
Bottom side Derby County are away to another struggling team in Reading, while Fulham face Portsmouth in Sunday’s other match.