Manchester City will continue their rivalry with Manchester United when the two sides meet at the Etihad Stadium for the 188th edition of the Manchester derby on Sunday afternoon.
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City will be looking to claim their second straight win in the league after they secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Wolves before the break.
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Manchester United, meanwhile, are on a three-game winning run in the league after they ended Arsenal’s perfect start to the campaign by securing a 3-1 win at Old Trafford.
City start in second place on the table – level on 17 points with third-placed Tottenham Hotspur, while United are placed fifth on the log with 12 points from six matches.
“The reason why [City’s defensive record is so good] is because 67 per cent of the time we have the ball. If you have the ball as much as possible then the opponent does not have the ball,” Pep Guardiola said.
“Of course, the opponent can score from set pieces or a counter-attack but the more that you have the ball the more chances you will have to score a goal.
“When you play 60 metres away from your goal then the controlling the counter-attack is important. Sometimes it is not possible because of the opposition players, but if you use the ball well and do not make mistakes, you will concede few.”
When the two sides squared off the in Manchester derby last season, Man City claimed the bragging rights when they did the double over United, with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford followed by a 4-1 victory in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola will have his entire squad fit and ready for the clash with the exception of Aymeric Laporte, who continues to recover from his knee surgery, while Erik ten Hag will have Anthony Martial sidelined with a achilles irritation.
Erling Haaland will be hoping to find the back of the net in his six consecutive league appearances, having already scored 11 goals and registered one assist in his first seven league matches.
Marcus Rashford will aim to continue his form for United after he contributed to three goals in his last games against Arsenal after he bagged a brace and an assist for Antony.
Manchester City’s Premier League Form:
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Manchester United’s Premier League Form:
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