It may be the first league meeting of six between the two this season – the second follows in Altrincham on Monday – but the Storm could be forgiven for already being sick of the sight of Aaron Fox’s team.

Nottingham Panthers 0 Sheffield Steelers 4 - Mark Simpson delivering at both end...

Six times the two teams have met this season in the Challenge Cup. Six times the Steelers have prevailed, the one-sided series of games – including a two-legged quarter-final – seeing the Steelers score 30 goals, while conceding just nine.

WE MEET AGAIN: Sheffield Steelers' captain Robert Dowd (secon right) will be hoping his team can maintain their stranglehol over Manchester Phoenix when the two meet again in Sheffield on Saturay night. Picture: Dean Woolley/Steelers Media

It is another indication of how well the Steelers’ season has gone so far and Manchester are certainly no mugs this season, arriving at the Utilita Arena tonight sitting fifth in the standings, although keen to post a positive response to Wednesday’s 5-0 loss at Guildford Flames, a result which saw the Surrey team move above them into fourth.

But the Storm had got the better of the Flames on Boxing Day when edging them out 4-3 after a shoot-out on home ice, one of a number of impressive results against team’s deemed to be the Steelers’ main title rivals, with Belfast and Cardiff also suffering at the hands of Matt Ginn’s team.

It means the Steelers cannot afford to take anything for granted in front of their own fans tonight, although head coach Aaron Fox is confident his team’s depth can once again come to the fore, much like it has all season and which sees them go into today’s clash on the back of a six-game winning streak in the league.

“The depth in our group has been key for us all year long,” said Fox in the aftermath of Wednesday’s 4-1 road win over Nottingham Panthers. “It was a little different in Nottingham where we rolled centres through, so our lines didn’t stay the same a lot of the time and we mixed and matched a lot of guys which was good as well.

LEADING MAN: Marc-Olivier Vallerand enjoys playing against Manchester Storm the most for Sheffield Steelers, having scored four goals against them in five Challenge Cup games so far this season. PIcture: Mark Ferris/EIHL Media.

“But I really like our group at the minute.”

The Steelers know any slips will be seized upon by their rivals, the nearest of which is Cardiff, who sit second, four points adrift of them.

The two meet in South Wales on Wednesday night before the Steelers hit the road again two days later to face a Glasgow Clan team who won 1-0 at Belfast on Thursday.

The Clan then head to Sheffield on Saturday signalling the end of a hectic spell of eight games in 15 days for the Elite League leaders.

Sheffield Steelers v Manchester Storm - Leaders aware of need to maintain firm grip over Roses rivals