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Manchester City and Manchester United would be locking horns for the 177th time in their history in all competitions. Overall United enjoy a better record than their noisy neighbors. However, there is a contrast between the past and the present. Manchester United has been the dominating team since long, until Sheikh Mansoor took over City and reshaped the club into an unstoppable force in Europe.
The turning point in City's history was clinching the title on the very last day when Sir Alex Ferguson was still the manager at Old Trafford. Since then, the blue half of Manchester has been a revolution, and under Pep Guardiola they have become an unbeatable side.
Jose Mourinho usually delivers against the top sides and last season was a testament to that when Manchester United came back to win at the Etihad. It was not enough to win the league but certainly a confidence booster before the upcoming game. The Portuguese is known for his tactical mastery and blocking the opposition out which would be crucial in this fixture as well.
With a lot at stake, here are five key battles that could decide the fate of the derby.
#5 Antony Martial vs Kyle Walker
Antony Martial is in a rich vein of form at the moment having scored five goals in his last five games. The Frenchman is United's best bet to attack City from the flanks and Jose would be hopeful he saves his best for the derby.
However Martial will up against one of the best right backs in the world, Kyle Walker who has become a different player under Guardiola. Antony would have to bring his top game to not only get past Walker in attack but also track his runs down the flanks and stop him from joining the helping City up front.
#4 Leroy Sane vs Ashley Young
Leroy Sane is one of the best right wingers in the Premier League right now. The German International can take on any defender and beat him with ease. His dribbling and shooting skills are praiseworthy as well.
Sane's interchange of passes with the midfield is dangerous for any right back. Pep Guardiola has lots of options on the bench, but he might go with Sane in this match because of his pace and trickery.
Ashley Young is a reliable asset in the United squad. He came up against many quality wingers during his time but often has performed beyond expectations. Be it Sane or Mendy, Young would have his task cut out against Manchester City as most of their attacks generally come from that wing which magnifies the job he has to do to stop Pep Guardiola's side. Apart from the defending, Young needs to be careful going forward in attack.
#3 David Silva vs Ander Hererra
David Silva is a legend at Manchester Cty. He has been with the club through thick and thin and has transformed into one of the best midfielders in Europe. The last few games gave few glimpses of Silva's passing and vision.
No matter how many defenders are there, he can still find a defense-splitting pass. The last game against Southampton, the Spaniard scored a goal and provided an assist. Silva is a permanent member of that starting eleven and would be up for the derby challenge this Sunday.
Jose Mourinho relies on defense to win games. He has used Ander Herrera quite brilliantly in many games with the purpose of stopping the opposition's best player to dictate the play. Ander is a good reader of the game, and Jose could use him to break the rhythm of David Silva and stop him from providing any defense-splitting passes.
#2 Raheem Sterling vs Luke Shaw
It's quite extraordinary to see how Pep Guardiola takes the best out of all his players. Raheem Sterling missed chances galore last season, but in this campaign, he is an entirely different player.
Raheem is scoring from outside the box and even from half chances. In the last two games against Southampton in the Premier League and Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, Sterling scored a brace each to round up a six-goal thrashing in each of the fixtures. His darting runs down the left flank are dangerous and difficult to defend.
Sterling would be up against his England International teammate Luke Shaw who himself has revived his career under Jose Mourinho. Shaw would have a battle on his hand to stop an in-form Raheem Sterling and even move up in the attack. With the pace at either side, both the players would be up against each other in a frenzy Manchester Derby.
#1 Paul Pogba vs Fernandinho
Paul Pogba is one of the most crucial players for Jose Mourinho's side this season. He can pick a long range pass and even shoot from outside the box. Apart from Martial, the Frenchman is the in-form player at the moment and would want to impose himself in the Derby as well.
The last season game was the highlight of Paul's career at United. Manchester City were leading and cruising towards the Premier League title, in came United lead by Pogba to turn the match around. That was the last defeat for Manchester City at the Etihad stadium till now.
However, Pogba would be up against a player who according to Guardiola is the fulcrum of the team and can play in any role in a football pitch. Fernandinho can break any attack from the opponent and even find long-range shots to score. It remains to see who will win the battle between the midfield and has the last laugh in the derby.
