Manchester United last visited Huddersfield in October 1971... the final time their 'Holy Trinity' of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton appeared on the scoresheet together

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It's been 46 years since a Manchester United team headed east over the Pennines and stopped off to play in the town of Huddersfield.

But Jose Mourinho's men will do precisely that on Saturday afternoon as they aim to keep up with rivals Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.

And they'll certainly be more than satisfied if United come away with a 3-0 victory as they did back on October 9, 1971.

Denis Law skips round the Huddersfield goalkeeper to score Manchester United's second goal in the 3-0 win at Leeds Road on October 9, 1971

Law didn't hang back in celebrating against the side where he started his career

But the scoreline from that game isn't as significant as the three scorers - George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton.

They wouldn't have known it at the time, but the 33,458 spectators who packed onto the Leeds Road terraces that day were to witness the end of an era.

It was the last time all three members of United's 'Holy Trinity' would all appear on the scoresheet in the same match.

It was a straightforward afternoon for Frank O'Farrell's United, who would go top of the First Division as a result of their easy win.

But United would ultimately finish in eighth position, O'Farrell would buckle under the weight of being Sir Matt Busby's successor, the 'Trinity' would leave or retire and United would enter into a steady decline.

The win at Huddersfield in 1971 was the final time United's 'Holy Trinity' of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton would appear on the scoresheet together

United's 'Trinity' of Best, Law and Charlton were immortalised with a statue outside Old Trafford in 2008

Match Facts 

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 0

MANCHESTER UNITED 3

Saturday October 9, 1971 - First Division

Huddersfield Town: David Lawson; Geoff Hutt, Roy Ellam, Dennis Clarke, Trevor Cherry, Les Chapman (Dick Krzywicki 46), Steve Smith, Jimmy McGill, Jimmy Lawson, Frank Worthington, Bobby Hoy

Manager: Ian Greaves

Manchester United: Alex Stepney; Steve James, Tony Dunne, Bobby Charlton, Tommy O'Neil, David Sadler, Alan Gowling, Brian Kidd, Willie Morgan, Denis Law, George Best

Manager: Frank O'Farrell

Scorers: Best, Law, Charlton

Attendance: 33,458 

The programme cover that day

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Famously European champions in 1968, United would go on to suffer the indignity of relegation to the second tier in 1974.

And although they would return at the first attempt, they wouldn't win the main prize of the top division title again until 1993 under Alex Ferguson.

Though past the peak of their powers, footage of the win over Huddersfield does offer a glimpse into just how effective Best, Law and Charlton were together.

The first goal is something of a surprise; a towering header from 5ft 9in Best. 

The second is a lovely move started by Best in his own half, pushed on by Charlton and finished by Law after rounding the keeper.

Law, who started his career at Huddersfield, didn't hold back with his celebration, that trademark raised arm and clinched cuff.

The third is a defensive comedy of errors, with Law pouncing on a terrible back pass, the keeper spilling the ball and Charlton surging in to ram the ball home. 

A comfortable afternoon's work, as most of the early months of the season were for United. They lost only twice before the turn of the year and were on course for a real tilt at the title.

But the dawn of 1972 brought seven consecutive defeats that saw United slide irreversibly down the table.

Morale slumped as well, with the impersonal O'Farrell not helping matters by making the players schedule appointments in order to speak with him.

O'Farrell was replaced by Tommy Docherty just before Christmas 1972, but things hardly improved. 

Charlton left United at the end of the 1972-73 season, having established club records of 758 appearances and 249 goals over 17 seasons of tragedy and triumph at Old Trafford.

Best faded from the picture in the 1973-74 season as his demons caught up with him and went on to conclude his career with a nomadic tour of clubs in England, Scotland, Ireland, the United States, Hong Kong and Australia.  

The 'Trinity' pictured with Wyn Davies (second left) at Old Trafford during the 1970s

The three United legends with awards presented by the club at Old Trafford in 2000

The trio back in the red of United in this 1995 picture. They scored 665 goals collectively for United in the 1,633 games they played 

The three legends of Old Trafford were given a statue outside the stadium in 2008 

Law returned to Manchester City in the summer of 1973 on a free transfer and ended up scoring the goal - a backheel - that consigned United to the second division the following year.

The trio first played together for United on January 18, 1964 and all found the net in a 4-1 win over West Brom.

The remainder of the decade would see them propel United to the pinnacle of success both domestically and in Europe, and all three players would win the Ballon d'Or.

Combined, they scored 665 goals in 1,633 games for United, helping Busby's side to league titles in 1964-65 and 1966-67.

But their crowning achievement came in winning the European Cup in 1968 with a 4-1 extra-time win over Portuguese club Benfica in the final at Wembley.

Coming just a decade on from the Munich air crash, it remains one of the greatest achievements in United's history and the part of Best, Law and Charlton in it was immense.

Their place in Old Trafford folklore is such that the 'Trinity' were immortalised with a statue in 2008.