5 reasons why Manchester United will destroy Manchester City at the Etihad

Manchester City host Manchester United in one of the most anticipated games of the 2017/18 season. The Cityzens could set a Premier League record if they manage to beat Manchester United on Saturday. No club in Premier League history has managed to win the title with 6 games to spare.

On the other hand, Jose Mourinho’s side will look to consolidate their second place and a win will more or less guarantee them a top-four finish. Last time these two sides met in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s side beat Manchester United 2-1 at the Old Trafford in December.

Without much ado, let’s take a look at the reasons why Manchester United will destroy Manchester City on Saturday.

#5 Demoralized City play United in less than 72 hours after the Liverpool mauling

Liverpool brought high flying Manchester City to the ground when they destroyed them 3-0 at Anfield on Wednesday. When teams struggle to beat Manchester City once, Jurgen Klopp's men did it twice this campaign.

Manchester City host Manchester United on Saturday, less than 72 hours after Liverpool mauling. Except for Ilkay Gündogan, all the other City players played 90 minutes against Liverpool. Playing their second game in under 3 days will take a heavy toll on the players. Fatigue could be a huge factor at this time of a season.

On the other hand, Manchester United players had enough rest after their home win against Swansea City and have started their preparations early for the clash against their arch-rivals Manchester City.

#4 United big boys finally seem to play well together

Mourinho could do wonders if he gets Pogba, Sanchez, and Lukaku to play well together

When Jose Mourinho bought Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in January, everyone thought he was the missing piece in Mourinho’s attack. Even Mourinho commented that Alexis could complete his attack.

However, things went south for Manchester United ever since the arrival of the Chilean. United lost to Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United in the Premier League and was eliminated from the UEFA Champions League round of 16 by Sevilla.

Mourinho struggled to get three of his big money signings play together. He dropped Pogba on a couple of occasions and played Scott McTominay in his place. Alexis Sanchez struggled to produce his best and United kept losing games.

After experimenting quite a bit, he reverted back to his Plan A and played Pogba, Alexis, and Lukaku against Swansea City last week. It was the best game that Manchester United played in recent weeks and it yielded excellent results. Lukaku scored a goal while Alexis scored one and assisted 1 more. Pogba too had a good game in the midfield.

Looks like Mourinho has finally found a way to play all his superstars together in a 4-2-3-1 formation. If these three get going, no defence is good enough to stop Manchester United.

#3 Last chance for Mourinho to prove that he is the right man to manage United next season

Some section of United fans are still not sure if he is the right man for the job

Mourinho’s second season at a club generally yielded great results. He won the UEFA Champions League with FC Porto and Inter Milan in his second year at the club and also lifted the league title with all the top European clubs (FC Porto, Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Real Madrid) he has managed so far, except for Manchester United.

Manchester United’s 2017/18 season cannot be termed as bad but isn’t great either. They trail table-toppers Manchester City by 16 points in the Premier League and were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Sevilla.

Manchester United are currently 12 points about the fifth-placed Chelsea and this game does not carry any great importance in the title race. However, we are talking about Manchester derby, one of the greatest rivalries in European football history and winning this game means a lot to Mourinho and United fans.

A win against City will silence his doubters for now. By winning this game, Jose Mourinho can send a message to everyone that he is the right man to lead Manchester United next season.

#2 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals is a big distraction for Manchester City

City will play Liverpool again on Tuesday in the second-leg — Manchester City will play Liverpool again on Tuesday in the quarterfinals second-leg

After his failure at Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola’s desire to win a UEFA Champions League title is no secret. With only a win away from clinching the Premier League title, his focus is well and truly on the European Silverware.

Manchester City host Liverpool on Tuesday in a bid to overcome their 3-0 first leg deficit. They have a big mountain to climb in the second leg and Pep Guardiola most likely will rest many of his first-team stars for the Manchester derby.

Also, According to various news outlets, Pep Guardiola has told his Manchester City stars that he will rest some of them for the clash against Manchester United. All signs point towards a United win.

#1 The Cityzens might go into the Saturday game without their all-time leading scorer

Gabriel Jesus led the line for Manchester City against Liverpool but failed to manage a single shot on target at Anfield. Sergio Aguero, City’s leading goal scorer this season, was badly missed against Liverpool on Wednesday.

Sergio Aguero has scored 30 goals for Manchester City this season and formed a ruthless partnership with Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling. He is yet to recover from his thigh injury and will most likely miss the Saturday game against Manchester United.

Though Pep Guardiola has no shortage of firepower in the attack, in-form Sergio Aguero is irreplaceable at Manchester City. Aguero gave nightmares to United defenders in the past and without him, the Red Devils are favourites to win at the Etihad.

Edited by Tanya Rudra