Premier League: Who will take the Manchester Derby?

In another edition of the Manchester Derby, both clubs find themselves in different situations on and off the pitch; Manchester United and Manchester City meet for the 186th derby at Old Trafford in the early kickoff on Saturday.

The tie between these two sides sees Ole Gunnar Solskjær more favorable based on the last five Manchester Derby results. United have accumulated three wins, one draw, and one loss against the Citizens in their previous encounters. Now that Cristiano Ronaldo is in the mix, that advantage might increase.

However, the last time that City visited Old Trafford was for a Carabao Cup clash. The Citizens left with a 2-0 victory with goals from John Stones and Fernandinho enough to secure the victory. For a Premier League clash, the last time that City took all three points dates back until April 2019 where Manchester City won 2-0.

Set the stage for Manchester United vs. Manchester City

On Saturday, Nov. 6, the two sides will meet for matchday 11 in the Premier League, with only three points separating them in the table standings. Man City sit above their counterparts with 20 points–United with only 17. Both sides will seek out to win and move up the standings.

Despite the staggering loss against old rivals Liverpool last Sunday, Solskjær seems to have tuned out the rumors of him getting sacked after a win against Tottenham and a draw against Atalanta. A loss against Pep Guardiola and his men might spark those rumors once again.

On the other hand, Guardiola and his men will be closer to the title race after dropping three points at home when they lost 2-0 against Crystal Palace. Guardiola will look to seek a much-needed win at Old Trafford.

Both sides have key players that will sit this match out. Manchester United will miss Raphael Varane after he picked up an injury against Atalanta. Victor Lindelöf might not be ready in time and  Ole may have to feature Eric Bailly just like he did against Atalanta.

For City, only Ferran Torres will miss out as he has not recuperated from that ankle injury sustained on international duty with Spain. Aymeric Laporte will be the other player that City will miss after picking up a red card against Crystal Palace.

Keys to victory

For Manchester United, Portuguese duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes will be crucial to get the job done. Both Portuguese internationals have four goals each, and unfortunately, the league’s top assist player, Paul Pogba, is still out on suspension after that red card against Liverpool. Lucky for them Fernandes will be available with his three assists under his belt.

Manchester City will need their starlets Jack Grealish and Phil Foden to perform outstandingly. Unlike their city rivals, City has several players with goals registered to their name.

United will have to be careful as City does not depend on a single player getting the job with all of them capable of shooting on target, which can become a real threat for De Gea who also registered an error in their midweek UCL draw.

Pep will also assess Kyle Walker with a late fitness test after the defender suffered a foot injury during their Champions League win over Club Brugge. A late exclusion of Walker could leave the visitors thin at the back.

The Manchester Derby is a famous match that many fans around the globe will stay tuned to watch history unfold. Both sides are more than capable enough to claim the Manchester Derby. Who will it be?