Manchester City had a somewhat underwhelming October which seen them win just two of their six games. Both those wins came in the Premier League but they come into the derby on the back of three games without a win across three different competitions. Their exit in the League Cup came on the back of losing to West Ham last weekend and a costly draw in the Champions League away to CSKA Moscow. It means that the visit of United takes on even more significance as City look to get their season back on track. Unsurprisingly, they have not endured a run of four straight games without a win since February 2010 – it’s not a record they want to be breaking this weekend.
An injury time goal from Robin Van Persie salvaged a point for Manchester United in their home game against Chelsea last Sunday. Despite rarely threatening after going a goal behind, Louis Van Gaal’s men will be delighted with the draw as he continues to build his own team after arriving in the summer. Despite a relatively easy start to this campaign, they are actually a point worse off than the same stage last season under David Moyes. The pressure on Van Gaal is nothing like what was heaped upon Moyes but this Sunday’s game is yet another test of how competitive United will be this season. His job will not be under threat no matter the outcome of this game but he’ll be well aware of the importance of the psychological aspect that an away win would have on the club.
Losing to Newcastle in the League Cup was bad enough but it was compounded further when David Silva was taken off early in the first half. The playmaker will miss this weekend’s game and the next couple of weeks which is a huge loss. They lacked a spark of creativity when he went off on Wednesday and it’s an area that will concern Manuel Pellegrini ahead of Sunday. The Chilean will be hoping that Yaya Toure rediscovers some of last season’s form and acts as the catalyst for a home win.
Despite missing Radamel Falcao through injury, United will be boosted by the return of Wayne Rooney who served his three match suspension for his sending off against West Ham. He’ll return to the fold and resume his new role as captain with the English forward likely to partner Van Persie in attack. His importance is emphasised by his record of being the top scorer in Manchester derbies with 11. He’ll be looking to lead by example and increase that tally as United look to win their first derby since December 2012.
These games are never dull and this Sunday’s clash is likely to be no different. Both sides have disappointed at times already this season but the pressure is most certainly on the home side, here. City are already six points behind leaders Chelsea and have to find a way to win to restore some confidence. Many people have tipped United for an upset after the events of the last week but I think that’s too reactive and still believe Pellegrini’s men are a class above, even without Silva.
Manchester City 19/20 @ Ladbrokes
