The first Manchester derby of the season is upon us with defending champions Manchester City hosting rivals Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s team are unbeaten so far in the Premier League but will be facing a resurgent Red Devils side, who have been on a winning run of late, having recently defeated Juventus in the Champions League.
Here are five players who will determine the outcome of the Manchester derby:
5. David de Gea
The Spanish goalkeeper has been one of the most important players for Manchester United over the last few seasons, and he will continue to play a significant part in this match as well.
David de Gea's saves have kept United in the game on a number of occasions, and when the likes of Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling inevitably break through the defence, Jose Mourinho will be praying his star keeper helps keep them out.
4. Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero has been part of the Manchester City side for close to a decade now and has been their main goalscoring threat in all the seasons he has been in England.
The Argentine can run through defences and can cause a lot of problems to any backline, especially one as brittle as that of Manchester United.
With 150 goals in the league, Aguero is eighth on the list of top goalscorers in the Premier League and would be one of the biggest threats to the United defence.
3. Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial has been on a bit of a golden run of late, having scored in four consecutive Premier League games. The Frenchman has picked up form at the right time, and he is leading the mini-resurgence of the club, scoring winning goals on an almost weekly basis.
Having received a call up to the France squad for the upcoming international break, Mourinho will hope his confidence will be sky high going into the Manchester derby.
The forward has been the Red Devils' most important player during the last month and fans would be hoping he continues in the same vein.
2. David Silva
Another important player in the Manchester City squad who has been the fulcrum of the team's recent success is David Silva. The Spaniard is the player Guardiola looks to for unlocking even the most stingy defences.
In the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, Silva has assumed control of midfield very well and helped the team become an even better attacking force than they were last season. He will be expected to be at his best if City are to come away with all three points.
1. Paul Pogba
The trump card for Jose Mourinho will be Paul Pogba. The talented Frenchman had shown in the World Cup that if he is used in the right fashion, he can be a deadly force in midfield.
Pogba has stepped up in recent weeks and has been one of the better players in the club's recent upturn in form.
It will be up to Mourinho to motivate the player to be at his best, despite the late injury concern, so that the Red Devils can approach the match with a positive attitude and go for all three points.
Comments
Post a Comment