No strikers, not even Diego Costa, Alexis Sanchez or Sergio Aguero, have been in a richer scoring vein than Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Harry Kane in the past few weeks.

Manchester United's legendary Swedish maestro has scored seven times in his past six matches, the Tottenham talisman nine in nine.

It doesn't take a genius to work out that Sunday's big Premier League clash at Old Trafford could depend on which of the gunslingers draws first.

Tottenham Hotspur's talisman striker Harry Kane has nine goals in his last nine games

Kane scores against CSKA Moscow in their midweek Champions League victory

Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored seven times in his past six matches

As a former Tottenham and United great, Teddy Sheringham is uniquely qualified to judge both No 9s. He regards Kane, who was coveted by United but signed a new contract with Spurs last week, as the best all-round English centre forward since his old Euro 96 partner Alan Shearer.

But to step up to the next level and go down in history as one of the striking greats, Sheringham says the Spurs man has only to look across the pitch this afternoon to realise what's required.

'All the top clubs in world football would have been interested in signing Harry Kane,' says Sheringham, who moved from Spurs to United to replace Eric Cantona in 1997 and will be an avid armchair fan for the game at Old Trafford.

'He could have gone anywhere for any amount of money but he is obviously loving - and you have to reiterate that - playing for Tottenham under Mauricio Pochettino.

'Harry obviously likes where Tottenham are going at the moment and that's what it is all about. He has ambitions, he is an England player and wants to play in top matches and big finals. He obviously thinks his club are going in the right direction for that.'

The Premier League is currently blessed with stand-out strikers. While Costa, Sanchez and Aguero are at what you would consider their peak ages, Sheringham considers 23-year-old Kane and Ibrahimovic, 35, worthy of standing alongside them even though they are at opposite ends of their careers.

'All those players are very different centre-forwards. For me, Harry is the epitome of an English centre-forward. He has a little bit of everything, which makes him an all-rounder,' he says.

'It is not just about scoring goals, he can do the other things, he can set people up, win headers, hold the ball up. But he has a fantastic eye for goal like Shearer did. He sees the target and he wants to shoot.

As a former Tottenham and United striker, Teddy Sheringham has a unique expertise

KANE THIS SEASON Goals: 7 Minutes per goal: 109 Shot accuracy: 65% Chance conversion rate: 30% Chances created: 12 Passes: 182 Miles run per game: 6.3 Sprints per game: 44.44 Advertisement

IBRAHIMOVIC THIS SEASON Goals: 8 Minutes per goal: 146 Shot accuracy: 51% Chance conversion rate: 17% Chances created: 20 Passes: 511 Miles run per game: 5.6 Sprints per game: 52.15 Advertisement

'I loved playing with players like that. I knew they weren't going to pass, and that was OK. The only way I was going to score would be to get a rebound off the goalkeeper or post or bar. So that is where I would run.

'I knew Shearer would have shots at goal. I knew where I stood and that's exactly how it is for whoever plays with Harry Kane.

'Zlatan is the finished article, I reckon, where Harry would like to be in 10 years' time. He has won major honours all around the world, and knows his game inside out, what he can and can't do.

'He doesn't get himself into positions that are foreign to him, he knows to stay in central areas and where the goal is. Again he is still a top player.

'If he can keep competing like he has done since he's first come over here and scoring goals, it makes him a top player for me.'

Sheringham was 31 when he joined United, but won the treble two years later in 1999

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Sheringham was 31 when Sir Alex Ferguson took him to Old Trafford. Many thought the United manager had made a mistake but two years later the striker had won the treble, scoring in both the FA Cup and Champions League finals.

His advantage was walking into a top United team, while Ibrahimovic has arrived in a time of transition with a new manager, Jose Mourinho, still trying to work out his best XI.

With this in mind, the former Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus and PSG striker's contribution has been even more impressive.

'I think he still deserves to be ranked at the highest level,' says Sheringham. 'You have seen in his games he is not waning at all. He might not go on forever, that's true, but at this moment he is still at the top of his game.

'You can see by the goals he has scored, 13 already this season, he looks ambitious, he is hungry and there is no way he is turning off in any games.

'I think that's great for Manchester United. He is a fantastic man to be a leader at that club. He is what they need.

'He has played at top clubs around the world. That's what you need at Manchester United. Jose obviously wanted someone who could hit the ground running, not somebody who needed to learn what it's like to play for a top club. Zlatan had that in his armoury, he has slipped in there and for me is doing really well.'

Sheringham feels Kane's strong working relationship with Mauricio Pochettino is key

In contrast, Ibrahimovic's boss Jose Mourinho remains unsure of his best starting team

UNITED ON HARRY'S HIT LIST Harry Kane wants to add Manchester United to the list of Premier League opponents he has scored against. He has goals against 21 of the 24 top-flight teams he has faced with Watford and Cardiff City the other two where he has drawn a blank. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has bagged 71 goals in his last 70 home league appearances for United and Paris Saint Germain since the start of the 2013/13 season. Advertisement

There are so many interesting aspects to today's game. Both clubs sit just outside the top four but Spurs are six points ahead of their rivals.

A United defeat would leave Mourinho more likely to qualify for the Champions League via the Europa League rather than the Premier League, a sobering thought in mid-December.

The contrast in styles between Ibrahimovic and Kane is fascinating. Kane is the young buck whose movement doesn't give defenders a moment's peace. Ibrahimovic is the wily old fox whose running stats may not look too impressive but he will challenge for the Golden Boot.

Sheringham doesn't think Kane should change his style but acknowledges that the United player's refusal to chase lost causes is also clever play.

Sheringham: 'Harry will obviously learn things along the way and his game will change'

'Everybody has their different ideas about how to play football. But listen to the top coaches over the years - Brian Clough, Johan Cruyff - and sometimes the best thing to do is to stand still on the pitch and let everything else go on around you,' says 51-cap Sheringham, who played for Clough, Ferguson, George Graham and Terry Venables in a 20-year career that also included spells with Millwall, Nottingham Forest and West Ham.

'Harry will obviously learn things along the way and his game will no doubt change over the years but at the moment he is a mobile, robust, hungry centre-forward and while he has that, while he is learning, he should keep going.

'Let him off the leash, let him do what he is doing. I am sure he studies other forwards and can look from afar at Zlatan and how he conducts himself. But for me, he also needs to keep doing things instinctively and naturally.

'Tottenham missed him sorely while he was out with injury because he is the spearhead, the focal point of their team. I went to their Champions League game at Wembley on Wednesday and I thought he led the line very well again.

Sheringham adds: 'I think Spurs are more flowing than United so they might go up there and nick it.'

The caveat is that both team possess exceptional centre forwards. And if Ibrahimovic can outshine the young pretender, all bets are off.