Manchester United gear up for the biggest match of the season as they take on their bitter rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Devils will be looking to grab all the three points in the derby in order to leapfrog City in the Premier League table and send a statement that they are genuine title contenders this year.
United bounced back well after the Arsenal defeat as they thrashed Everton 3-0 at Merseyside last week and claimed a crucial point against CSKA Moscow in Russia on Wednesday in their Champions League group tie.
On the other hand City are in a good form as they have scored 11 goals in last two Premier League matches and boosted their chances of qualifying for round of 16 in Champions League by beating Sevilla on Wednesday. Both the Manchester clubs boast number of superstars but this derby could be decided by the following key battles.
Matteo Darmian vs Raheem Sterling
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Sterling has been quietly one of the key performers for City this term. The former Liverpool winger has been doing well in crucial matches for Citizens and scored a hat-trick against Bournemouth last weekend. .He has got a good amount of pace and trickery in his arsenal and can whip dangerous crosses into the box to help Wilfried Bony get those regular poacher’s goals.
Darmian had a terrible outing against Arsenal where Alexis Sanchez ran riot on the wing. The Italian has been consistent for Manchester United and has been the first choice right back since moving from Torino in the summer. He is good with his positioning and decent while going forward, meaning it will be fierce face-off between Sterling and Darmian as the former likes to take on his man while the latter is very compact during a duel.
Morgan Schneiderlin vs Kevin De Bruyne
City are without their two key players Sergio Aguero and David Silva through injury meaning the onus of creating chances lays with Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian has got off to a dream start in his career at Manchester City and has bagged five assists and five goals already this term in all competitions. He has already created 15 chances in five matches in Premier League and has slotted into their side perfectly.
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Schneiderlin has been showing his best in last two matches against Everton and CSKA Moscow though. The former Saints midfielder boasts a good passing range and is solid in his defensive duties. He was key to Manchester United keeping Ross Barkley quiet during their game against Toffees and will be tasked with a similar job against De Bruyne this weekend. The French midfielder provides a solid shielding to the defence and will have to work hard to keep the Belgian playmaker quiet in the derby.
Anthony Martial vs Pablo Zabaleta
Louis Van Gaal changed the formation a bit last week to bring in a three man midfield and shifted Martial onto the left wing. The French international was impressive in that position as he takes on his man effectively and is still efficient in front of goal. He has been the focal point of Manchester United’s attacking unit since joining them on deadline day, scoring five goals in all competition and he will be the go to man for the Red Devils on Sunday.
Manchester City have not started with their first choice right-back this term as Zabaleta has suffered minor injuries and Bacary Sagna has been in good form. The Argentine was back last weekend and delivered an excellent performance against Bournemouth. He has been doing well in last two or three seasons for Citizens and he will have to be on his toes to shrug of the potent attack on the left flank from Martial. This will be a tasty battle as Zabaleta ventures forward most of the time and Martial can surely punish him on counter with his pace and trickery, while the City man also has a tendency to fly into tackles meaning the opportunity is there to expose him.