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It's the much awaited Manchester Derby on November 11th which will witness two teams with contrasting starts to the season square off. United have had a patchy run so far while City have been unbeaten and apart from the Wolverhampton game, have looked unstoppable.
However, it is a known fact that Jose Mourinho loves the big games and has never settled for anything less than a win. The United manager has been under a lot of pressure lately and the fans are slowly starting to turn their back on the manager.
The Red Devils will travel to the Etihad with a lot of confidence as they are steadily getting back to their best. They played some stunning football vs Chelsea in the second half and with the 3-2 comeback win last season at Etihad still fresh in their mind, they will look to grab all three points once again.
Without further ado, here are 3 reasons why Manchester United will outclass Manchester City:
#3 Paul Pogba & Anthony Martial's form
There is no doubt that Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial are the best outfield players Manchester United have in their squad right now. The French duo have been linking up very well and been a threat to the opposition every time they have been given some space.
The game against Chelsea was the best example. More than the whole game, the second half has to be more than enough evidence for the United fans to believe that their team is capable of playing some brilliant football.
Jose Mourinho needs to play these two players from the start and also give them the freedom to play the way they like. They have it in them to run at the defence and combine smoothly to get past any defence in the world but it is Mourinho's tactics that are stopping them.
Manchester City will have a tough time keeping these two players quiet and Pep Guardiola is not a manager who would man mark an opponent out of the game. So, Pogba and Martial will have all the freedom they need to combine well.
#2 The upper hand
Anyone can tell you without looking at the overall head-to-head stats that United have won more Manchester Derbies than City. That was the case before the Sheikh Mansour takeover but since then, United have had to struggle in the games. Apart from the 6-1 win, City have never had it easy against the Red Devils and that has been the case for a long time.
Last season, Manchester City were absolutely unstoppable in the league. The Cityzens were winning every single game and looked on course to emulate The Invincibles of Arsenal. However, they did struggle in a couple of games, especially the two against Manchester United.
City managed a "lucky" 2-1 win at Old Trafford and Jose Mourinho was livid with the referee as he had failed to award them a penalty. And in the reverse fixture, City had a comfortable 2-0 lead with fans chanting "ole" for every pass they completed. But all that was short-lived as United came back to win the game 3-2 thanks to a masterclass by Paul Pogba.
In short, United had the upper hand over City despite the Cityzens being on top of their game last season. And given that they have already dropped points this season and found it difficult vs Wolverhampton, United will have a lot of confidence going into the game.
#1 Mourinho's siege mentality
Jose Mourinho is a man who will never settle for what he has. He's always got the hunger to win more and with so much pressure on him, he will only look to thrive. With so much talk about him on the verge of being sacked, Jose has a point to prove and the Manchester Derby will be the best stage for him to show the board and the fans that he is the right man for the job.
A large part of the United fan base is slowly turning its back on the manager but a good performance in the derby will be enough for them to change their minds. The United faithful were happy with the side's effort in the Chelsea game and have been demanding for more of the same.
Even if Mourinho does go defensive, they will have to play the way they did vs Arsenal at the Emirates last season. The Gunners kept attacking but United were solid at the back. Thanks to some stunning saves by De Gea, and the counter-attacking goals, they were able to win the game 3-1.
