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All eyes will be at Old Trafford tomorrow when Manchester United and Manchester City lock horns in a rollicking Premier League clash. It will be the 186th Manchester derby between the two teams.
The Red Devils are unbeaten in their last four games against the Sky Blues, but their form lately has been patchy. With just one win in five league games, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team have dropped to fifth in the league table, but trail City by only three points.
The reigning champions lost 2-0 to Crystal Palace at the Etihad last weekend ,and will look to bounce back in the derby.
Ahead of the mouth-watering kick-off, here's a look at how the two sides would stack up in a hypothetical combined XI. A 4-1-4-1 combination has been considered.
Goalkeeper: Ederson (Manchester City)
Manchester United custodian David de Gea has shown obvious improvements this season following a dip in form. But his Manchester City counterpart gets the nod here.
With five clean sheets in nine top-flight games and conceding only six times, the Brazilian has been head and shoulders above the rest. Ederson's ball distribution remains fine as ever.
By performing to his best week in, week out, Ederson has become a model of consistency for other goalkeepers. He has played a crucial role in all of City's title triumphs since joining them in 2017.
In the Manchester derby, his record stands at two clean sheets in eight games, all coming in the league, and conceding 11 times. So, he'll hope to improve that on Saturday.
Right-back: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United)
Manchester City's Kyle Walker has been a mainstay for club and country for quite a while now. So many would put him over Manchester United's Wan-Bissaka. But statistically speaking, the United man has been better.
While both have created one big chance apiece this season, Wan-Bissaka has laid more crosses (32-8) and passes (505-496) than Walker.
Defensively, too, Wan-Bissaka is convincingly above Walker. He has made more interceptions (14-4), recoveries (59-36), tackle-success rate (80%-33%) and twice as many clearances (12-6) than Walker.
Centre-back: Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
You don't need a reason to include him in a team like this, for Ruben Dias has been in a league of his own since joining Manchester City last year.
His leadership and defensive nous helped the side to another league double last season. Dias won the league's Player of the Year award for his excellent contributions.
Signed from Benfica for a hefty £65 million, Dias seemed overpriced at the start. But the Portuguese talisman has made a mockery of such perceptions with his stellar displays.
Centre-back: Victor Lindelof (Manchester United)
Harry Maguire has been a disaster lately. Raphael Varane is injured. and ruled out from the clash. Eric Bailly and John Stones have rarely played. Aymeric Laporte is suspended.
All of that leaves us with only Victor Lindelof, who hasn't covered himself in much glory either. Bt he has provided a calm and composed presence in an otherwise chaotic Manchester United backline.
Left-back: Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)
He initially struggled to settle at City after joining in 2019. But Joao Cancelo has gradually blossomed into a reliable star for them, and has been one of their best performers in the ongoing 2021-22 season.
He has contributed six goals in the season already thus far. While most have come in the Champions League, it typifies his brilliant attacking form, which Manchester United must be wary of.
Defensive Midfielder: Rodri (Manchester City)
Rodri, too, didn't hit the ground running at Manchester City. But after taking over the reins from the veteran Fernandinho, he has been unstoppable. Rodri has been a force to be reckoned with in midfield and a vital cog in Pep Guardiola's juggernaut.
He's excellent in ball retention, and reads the game brilliantly, averaging over two tackles per game in the league this season. Considering the same, Rodri easily keeps out the Manchester United duo of Scott McTominay and Fred.
Attacking Midfielder: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
If it weren't for Cristiano Ronaldo's heroics, Fernandes would've been hailed as United's outright best player of the season thus far. The younger Portuguese has been the creative inspiration for United, carrying them on his back at times.
Since his move to United in January 2020, the irrepressible Portuguese has contributed 77 goals (44 scored, 33 assisted) in 95 games. That includes 12 in the current campaign. He has also averaged almost four key passes per game.
His attacking partnership with Ronaldo is blooming into one of Europe's best right now. Fernandes has assisted Ronaldo four times already this season, including once each in the last two games across competitions.
Attacking Midfielder: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Sure, Kevin De Bruyne isn't in the best form right now. But given his match-winning skills and playmaking brilliance, it would be blasphemous to leave him out for anyone else.
Since he joined City, no player has created more chances or laid more assists in the Premier League than the Belgian wizard. De Bruyne's ability to conjure something special in big games warrants him a place here.
Right Winger: Mason Greenwood (Manchester United)
Mason Greenwood, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez all had a case for being selected here, making the final selection a tough one. However, the ManchesterUnited star gets the spot for impressing most out of the three.
The youngster has been a huge threat for The Red Devils this season, scoring four times in the league from nine games. That is the most in the squad along with Fernandes and Ronaldo.
Left Winger: Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Phil Foden has steadily grown in influence since breaking into the Manchester City team four years ago. Last season was arguably his best, as he scored 13 times and made ten assists in all competitions to help his team to a domestic double.
Now he's building on that further with similarly talismanic displays, having contributed nine goals in total. It reflects on his potential to lead City, shining at the tip of their attack.
Striker: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
No surprises here. Cristiano Ronaldo has hit the ground running during his second spell at United. It's almost as if he never left. With nine goals from 12 games across competitions, he has wasted no time in proving his value to the side.
Most of those strikes have either been late winners or equalisers. His sensational volley against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend demonstrated his ability to score from any angle.
Those who questioned his ability to lead the side at 36 are now in awe of the Portuguese ace. He'll be aiming to inspire another big win against United's bitter rivals.
