But the diplomatic gesture will not prevent the Liverpool manager from doing his utmost to upset Mourinho in a match Liverpool badly need to take something from after a stuttering start to the season.

With Manchester United kicking off against Arsenal half an hour after hostilities have ended at Stamford Bridge, the balance of power in what has the potential to be the most intriguing Premiership title battle in years should be much clearer by Sunday night.

It will also be clear whether Mourinho has accepted Benitez's offer to draw a line under the unseemly spat between the two managers which resulted in them failing to shake hands at the end of either last year's FA Cup semi-final or the Community Shield last month.

The Iberian feud dates back to Liverpool's defeat of Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League semi-final, with the help of a controversial goal by Luis Garcia at Anfield.

Mourinho, it seems, has been unable to forgive Benitez for wrecking his chance of claiming back-to-back European Cup triumphs with different teams following his 2004 victory with Porto, and has been sniping at the Liverpool boss ever since.

Relations were not helped when Jose Reina was sent off at Stamford Bridge after Arjen Robben theatrically fell to the ground in response to a featherweight touch from the Liverpool goalkeeper, prompting Benitez to brand Mourinho's Dutch winger a cheat.

Now however, the Spaniard insists he wants to create a more amicable relationship. "For me it is time to finish with this situation," said Benitez. "At the end of the game I will wait and see if he offers his hand. If he does then I'll shake it."

After a traumatic 3-0 hammering from local rivals Everton last weekend, Liverpool appeared to have rediscovered their defensive solidity in a goalless Champions League draw at PSV Eindhoven in midweek.

But recent history suggests a victory at Stamford Bridge, where Mourinho has yet to lose a league match, could be beyond them.

Like Liverpool, Arsenal can ill-afford to come away from their Sunday appointment empty-handed, Arsene Wenger's men having secured only two points from their opening three fixtures.

Wenger however has taken heart from his side's first win of the season, a 2-1 success at Hamburg in the Champions League on Wednesday, and struck a bullish tone in the aftermath of that success.

"It was important to win so we can go into the Manchester United match knowing how to win as we have not managed to do it in the league," he said. "I think you will see an interesting game on Sunday."

United will have to do without Ryan Giggs, who has been sidelined for three weeks with a hamstring strain, but Cristiano Ronaldo will return after missing the midweek win over Celtic through suspension.

United boss Alex Ferguson will be looking for more of the same from Louis Saha and Paul Scholes, both outstanding in midweek, and an improvement from Wayne Rooney, who made a lacklustre return to action in the same game.

By the time the big guns go head to head on Sunday, either Portsmouth or Everton could be sitting on top of the table.

Both clubs are within two points of United after winning three and drawing one of their opening fixtures.

Everton will expect to take all three points from near neighbours Wigan at Goodison Park while Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth travel to Charlton looking to extend their run of clean sheets to five matches.