EPL: United’s chance to hurt City in Manchester derby

The Manchester derby offers United a chance to make up ground on their City rivals.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reacts to a missed opportunity against Shakhtar Donetskin the Champions League. Picture: AFP

The rise of Manchester City in the past decade has raised the question of whether the Manchester derby has finally replaced United’s clash with Liverpool as the pre-eminent confrontation in English football’s northwest heartland.

While there are no shortage of United fans who, for either historic reasons or a sense of intercity competition, still say that Liverpool is the ultimate grudge match, there is no doubt the game against City has grown in stature and relevance.

Tomorrow night’s game at Etihad Stadium (AEDT) will certainly have the real edge of a derby although, as has been the case now for several seasons, City will start it from a position of superiority.

Pep Guardiola’s side look down from their perch on a United team stuck in seventh place on the Premier League table — and that hurts everyone connected with the Old Trafford club.

Few of United’s faithful truly believe Jose Mourinho’s team have a realistic chance of finishing above Guardiola’s champions in May but a win tomorrow would at least restore some lost pride.

That was the case in April when Paul Pogba scored twice as United came back from two goals down at halftime to win 3-2 and deprive City of the satisfaction of clinching the title on their home turf against their neighbours.

City’s loud celebrations of their 2-1 win at Old Trafford last December had rankled with Mourinho and his players and they showed that in the tense atmosphere of a derby they were capable of lifting their game and rattling City.

They will need to be firing on all cylinders to stop Guardiola’s side who have scored 17 goals in their past three home games — putting five past Burnley, hitting Southampton for six and thrashing Shakhtar Donetsk 6-0 in the Champions League earlier this week.

City are unbeaten in the league with nine wins from 11 games while United have won just six and lost three, and already trail their neighbours by nine points.

Both sides will be buoyant after contrasting Champions League wins this week.

City trounced Shakhtar and United plucked a 2-1 victory over Juventus out of the fire with two rather late goals in Turin.

Liverpool, smarting from their Champions League loss to Red Star Belgrade, will be hoping United can do them a favour and take points off City.

Jurgen Klopp’s side host bottom club Fulham while second-placed Chelsea, also two points behind City, have a tougher task at home to Everton.

Tottenham Hotspur, in fourth place, will look for their seventh away win so far this season when they travel to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Reuters