'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The first battle of the season has almost arrived. No matter what anyone says, everything is at stake in the Manchester Derby. League positions, current form, the players' available account for absolutely nothing. Only a win is acceptable, only a win is desirable and anything else is a bad result, including a draw. One of the fiercest rivalries in sports, the Manchester Derby divides friends, families and fans alike all over the world.
While the ranks within both clubs has changed in recent time, it has done little to wither the animosity. Manchester United have won 77 of the 176 games between the two sides, while City have won 51. Last season, City won at Old Trafford, while United won the reverse fixture spectacularly, coming back from 2 goals down.
On current form, City have the upper hand. They are unbeaten at top of the table, with 9 wins out of the 11 games played. United, on the other hand, are 7th but have put together a fine run which has seen them come back to win 3 of their last 4 games in the Premier League. Contrary to popular belief, United do have the players to trouble City all around the pitch and today we look at the 4 men who could determine the outcome of the game on Sunday.
#4 Ander Herrera
The Spaniard has played just 123 minutes in the Premier League this season, with a combination of Fred and ankle injury keeping him out. His only start in the Premier League was in the back 3 against Spurs, where things went horribly wrong. Jose didn't seem to have him in his plans, but Herrera has been there, done that and as a result, crawled into Jose's good book spectacularly again.
After the Spurs debacle, Herrera had played just 34 minutes - all coming from the bench, in 3 games and last weekend against Bournemouth, the Spanish midfielder found himself on the bench again. But with every passing minute, Fred's recent woeful run continued to haunt United and as a result, Herrera replaced Fred in the 56th minute. As soon as he stepped on the field, United were bitten by his infectious energy, which helped them regain control on the field. It directly resulted in Herrera returning to the starting eleven against Juventus in the Champions League in the midweek, where, once again, he was efficient and effective.
Against Manchester City, Jose will want someone who is cautious but has the ability to spot a run from deep, who is gritty yet intelligent, who can be engaging as well as sly. Ander Herrera fits the bill like few others. His mere presence lifts Matic, who has been out of form this season and the Spaniard also has a galvanizing effect on this team that United will need in the game. Against City, watch out for Ander Herrera.
#3 David de Gea
David de Gea might be having trouble securing a clean sheet - he has just 1 in 11 games, but statistics show that the Spaniard is in top form this season as well. De Gea has made 40 saves so far this season, and when you compare it to the other top 6 goalkeepers, the numbers reveal a lot.
Peter Cech has 28, but he has started 4 games less. Lloris, who has also played 7 games, has 26 saves. Kepa, who has cost Chelsea a fortune, has 22 saves from 11 games, same as Alisson. Ederson, who leads the race for the Golden Glove this season, has just 19. It shows that De Gea is paying the price for a woeful defence ahead of him and in reality, the Spaniard has been the backbone of all the wins this season.
De Gea has made crucial saves in every game and kept the game within reach of United. Indeed, everytime that United have been able to muster a comeback, it has been because De Gea has ensured that they had not drifted too far away. Against Manchester City too, one can expect the Spaniard to be crucial, and his brilliance can definitely determine the outcome of the game.
#2 Paul Pogba
Despite what people say about the Frenchman not influencing games at United, Pogba has done better than average in the league, if the stats are to be believed. Pogba has 700 passes to his name - 10th in the league, and 928 touches on the ball, which is 8th in the league. He has attempted 36 shots, which is 5th in the league and most among the midfielders. He also has 20 shots on target, which is the highest in the league. Paul Pogba has been involved this season but has been let down by concentration and consistency.
The Frenchman has gone missing at times in games, and his form has also been affected by the inconsistencies of the players around him. When on song, Pogba has been brilliant and has been the instigator of United's fight back in recent matches. So far, he has scored 5 goals and registered 4 assists from 15 games in all competitions this season. He just needs to assert his influence in games, although a little helping hand from his compatriots would not be too bad.
Against City, Pogba can turn things around by himself and one only has to look at this fixture from last season to know how influential the Frenchman can be.
#1 Anthony Martial
Last season, the Anthony Martial scored 11 goals from 41 games in all competitions. In the Premier League, he scored 9 goals from 30 games and was on a rich vein of form when United bought Sanchez in January. Martial's goal-scoring run took a hit, as Mourinho opted for Sanchez's reputation ahead of the Frenchman's youth. It was a gamble that did not pay off and instead, deeply affected Martial. The Frenchman never scored again in the season.
At the start of this season, Sanchez continued to be selected ahead of the Frenchman, who struggled to find his place in the team. Martial was involved in just 4 of United's first 7 games, coming off the bench twice and starting twice. Yet, Anthony Martial's abilities were rarely in doubt and a consistently poor run of games from Sanchez saw the Frenchman start in his favoured right position again. He started by marking his return to goalscoring form in that fabulous fight back against Newcastle. Since then, Anthony Martial has scored 5 goals in his last 4 games and has been in stunning form so far.
The best part is that the United team seems to acknowledge his talent and threat and have started playing through him. The players have tried to complement his strengths and this has greatly helped Martial to flourish. The Frenchman's turn, smart feet and eye for goal make him a nightmare for defenders and on his night, he can be devastating. Against City, if Martial gets going, there will be no stopping him and United will most certainly look towards him to inspire them forward.
