FOR those who like their football red in tooth and claw, Saturday's top two showdown may turn out to be something of a let-down.

United and Arsenal fans who hunger for the controversy of the 90s, for the Battles of Highbury and Old Trafford, for Pizzagate and for Roy Keane to scare the pantalons off Patrick Vieira in the tunnel, may just have to sit tight.

For when the two key midfielders collide this time around, it will look more like a boy band reunion than a resumption of the English Civil War.

These two sides have illuminated the Premier League in recent weeks with scintillating football, which has consigned the robotic Chelsea era to the football dustbin and left the rest of the Premier League with their hands on their knees, panting like Billy Bunter on a cross-country run.

And at the heart of both teams, pulling strings and wowing fans, have been two young men whose combined age is still less than that of Teddy Sheringham, still playing in the Championship at Colchester.

The 19-year-old Anderson has been a revelation to United fans in the last few games, forcing the impatient to eat their words and surprising the more far-sighted by the speed with which he has adapted to the rigours of top-flight English football.

Impact

And yet, if he wants to see how to really make an impact, despite a lack of years and without the physicality of a Keane or a Vieira, he can take a glance across at the man lining up opposite him at the Emirates Stadium.

Cesc Fabregas is just 49 weeks older than Anderson, and yet his impact on English, European and even world football, has been incredible.

Ashley Cole, in his classless autobiography, dismissed Fabregas as "an unproven featherweight" - a description which was as wrong as it was envious.

Fabregas, in his own elegant, intelligent way, has been demolishing records ever since he switched from Barcelona as a 16-year-old, worried that he may not get a look in amid the usual collection of world stars at the Nou Camp.

Things did not look that much brighter for him at Arsenal, faced with the challenge of dislodging Arsenal icon Vieira, or Brazil internationals Edu and Gilberto Silva.

But four years ago last week, he made his bow in the League Cup and at 16 years 177 days became the youngest Arsenal player in history.

Injury to Vieira at the start of 2004-05 gave him his break in the Premier League, and he also became the Gunners' youngest league debutant, and their youngest league scorer as he dropped into the Arsenal midfield like a veteran.

He helped Arsenal to FA Cup victory in his first real season, beating United on penalties in the final, and became the second-youngest Champions League scorer in that season.

He also became the youngest player capped by Spain for 70 years, and appeared for his country at the last World Cup. He already has 18 caps in his collection.

When Arsene Wenger allowed Vieira to leave for Juventus, many feared that the Arsenal boss was putting too much faith in Fabregas, and that the Spanish teenager would prove too frail, both physically and mentally, for the job. But Fabregas proved that sublime talent, creativity and a touch of selflessness can more than make up for a lack of height and aggression.

Significance

The significance that Wenger sees in Fabregas was shown last season when he put pen to an eight-year deal, even though he was pipped to the PFA's Player-of-the-Year and Young Player-of-the-Year awards by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Anderson is in the position in which Fabregas found himself three years ago. He has a touch more experience, having picked up one Brazilian and two Portuguese league titles, and a couple of full international caps, before he came to United.

But now the knee injury which is set to keep Paul Scholes out of the side until January shines the spotlight on the boy from Porto Alegre.

Anderson took Wayne Rooney's old No8 shirt when he came to Old Trafford, but it is Scholes's boots he must fill.

Harsh critics around Old Trafford wondered what Fergie was playing at when he splashed a huge wad of cash on the Porto player in the summer, especially as he looked slow, a little ungainly and sluggish in pre-season.

Ferguson was quick to remind everyone that he had been signed with an eye to the future, but that future has arrived a lot sooner than anyone thought.

The turning point came against Wigan a month ago, with the sides deadlocked at 0-0 and Anderson on as an emergency sub for the concussed Nemanja Vidic.

A cute through ball sent Carlos Tevez away and the Reds were on their way to a 4-0 win and the start of a sequence of four-goal victories which has equalled a 100-year-old record.

Anderson has started in the last three and been a strong man-of-the-match contender against Dynamo Kiev and Middlesbrough.

Now he can measure himself against the original Young Pretender. But instead of the cudgels and snarls of Keane and Vieira, the fans will be treated to the rapiers and finesse of the new generation.

What will be the key to the game? Have your say.

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