Rivalry is an important component in any sport, but there is something about a midday FA Cup showdown between Manchester United and Liverpool which takes it out of the mere ordinary.

It's a special antagonism, a rivalry bred out of mutual admiration but also with the passions, demands and expectations of both teams' own supporters raising the ante. The match tomorrow promises a great deal.

The strange thing is that, in recent years, Liverpool haven't got too much out of their encounters with United, especially at Old Trafford. Generally, United have been - and are - the better team, with the better defence and midfield, and play a physically stronger game. Jaap Stam at the back, and Roy Keane and Nicky Butt in midfield, epitomise this approach.

For instance, Paul Ince, the Liverpool player who knows United better than anyone, rarely ever has a good game against them and, for all his snarling and running about, you don't really see him put in too many telling tackles. Indeed, my theory is that Ince looks at Keane and Butt, goes "oh, dear", and doesn't really believe that he can overpower them.

Yet, this is a bigger game for Liverpool than it is for Manchester United, a game that will determine just what the rest of the season has in store for them.

Even with their recent good league run, I don't believe Liverpool can win the Premiership, so this cup campaign represents their best chance to lift some silverware from the season. United, though, are still in three competitions - they're involved in the European Champions' League, are at least joint favourites to win the Premiership and, although the FA Cup could end up being a distraction, it remains an important goal and they've been able to focus completely on it.

I don't imagine Alex Ferguson would have liked to be playing Liverpool in the FA Cup between home and away fixtures with Inter Milan, but they have survived the winter virtually injury-free so far and the Manchester United supporters will demand they beat Liverpool tomorrow. The two cities are separated by only 35 miles of motorway and the rivalry is such that the players won't need to be psyched up for a match of this magnitude. They, more than anyone, know what it means to win.

United know all about the goal threats which Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler present to them, but what they tend to do, very cleverly, when they face Liverpool, is to play a bit deeper and draw Liverpool on to them. Keane or Butt generally drops back and plays in front of the United defence; they deny Owen room, and they encourage Liverpool to play the passing game which makes them think they are playing well.

But, for all their passing, Liverpool don't penetrate, and United, who can play a number of different ways, depending on the requirement, generally tend to counter-attack exceptionally well against them. That has been the case in recent meetings between them anyway.

Liverpool's best result so far this season was going to Arsenal and drawing. They were strong, played good football and defended well to a man. That was fine against Arsenal, who can be subdued, but the problem is exacerbated against Manchester United because Liverpool would have to subdue a lot more players, and I wonder if they can, especially around midfield.

To be honest, I can't see anything but a Manchester United win tomorrow, and for a number of reasons.

Up front, Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke have established a good partnership. Cole does most of his good work in the box, and is more of an out-and-out frontman; but Yorke can run the flanks. He can run off defenders, and turn defenders and has a good footballing brain. It's a partnership that's working well.

And, although the Manchester United defence has been shuffled about a bit, which is not great for stability, when they do play the strongest four (which will be the case tomorrow, you can be sure), any frailties that may exist don't get exposed. So, all in all, I expect Manchester United not only to dictate the game, but to win it too.

The Wolves-Arsenal match is an intriguing one, and for Robbie Keane it is an opportunity to show again that he really should be playing in the Premiership. Indeed, in time, he will be: either because Wolves get promoted, or because the club won't be able to turn down the money. To be honest, I think the £5 million that Middlesbrough offered is just the start of the bidding for Keane.

This match will give him an opportunity to show what he can do against one of the top defences in the country. Still, I don't expect Wolves to win. Arsenal just have too much quality and resilience and, as they showed when 2-0 down to Preston, they just get on with the job and they are very difficult to beat.

(In an interview with Philip Reid).