What: English Premier League
Who: Manchester City vs Manchester United
When: Sunday 22nd September, 2013, at 16:00 UK Time
Where: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
Searching For Early Consistency
It may be two new managers at the helm, but it will be the two same old foes clashing when Manchester City and Manchester United square off at the Etihad Stadium. Both Manuel Pellegrini and David Moyes will take their place in the dugout for the first time in a Manchester derby. It always promises to be a pulsating affair when the blue and red halves of Manchester meet up, however this season’s first derby is intriguing thanks to all the new staff and personnel the two clubs now have.
Manchester City romped their way to a 4-0 win over Newcastle in their season opener, but have had a couple of disappointing performances since in an away defeat to Cardiff City and goalless draw at Stoke. Pellegrini’s men did find their scoring touch midweek in a 3-0 away win over Viktoria Plzen in Champions League action though. That win should act as a timely confidence boost ahead of the derby against Manchester United. Possessing a squad that still boasts the stars of last term, albeit with some quality additions, Manchester City will fancy their chances of regaining the Premier League title this season from their bitter rivals.
With the likes of Gael Clichy, Martin Demichelis and Micah Richards out due to injury, any other side would perhaps find themselves in the midst of an injury crisis, but Manchester City’s depth is what could separate them from their other title rivals. There was good news to be found on the defensive front however this week as Vincent Kompany featured against Plzen and Manchester City’s leader is back just in time.
Moyes Finding His Feet
A defeat to Liverpool coupled with a fairly subdued summer in the transfer market meant that new Manchester United manager Moyes found himself under the first real pressure of his tenure earlier this month. That seems old news now though as Manchester United have won two in a row against Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen and everything appears to be pointing to a smooth transition from Sir Alex Ferguson. A derby defeat could change matters once again though and Moyes will hope Manchester United can come away with a big result from, as Ferguson coined them, their “noisy neighbours.”
Moyes was delighted at Wayne Rooney’s performance in particular against Leverkusen. If he and Robin van Persie can continue to produce goals up front for the Red Devils then surely they will be that much closer to success come the end of the season.
Both sides still have a lot to prove under their new managers. While this result won’t change the course of the title race this early in the campaign, it could still have a far-reaching impact with regard to confidence and belief for both sets of players and coaches. And that is something Moyes accepts could be the case. “These points could be really important towards that, they may not be. We’ll go and we’ll try and take all the points”, the Manchester United boss declared.
Recent form
Manchester City:
Manchester City 2-0 Hull City (31/08; Premier League)
Stoke City 0-0 Manchester City (14/09; Premier League)
Viktoria Plzen 0-3 Manchester City (17/09; Champions League)
Manchester United:
Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United (01/09; Premier League)
Manchester United 2-0 Crystal Palace (14/09; Premier League)
Manchester United 4-2 Bayer Leverkusen (17/09; Champions League)
Key absences
Manchester City: David Silva (doubt); Gael Clichy (doubt); Martin Demichelis; Micah Richards (doubt)
Manchester United: Danny Welbeck (doubt); Phil Jones (doubt); Rafael (doubt); Darren Fletcher
Players to watch
Manchester City – Yaya Toure: The likes of David Silva, Sergio Aguero and new signings Fernandinho, Alvaro Negredo and Jesus Navas may grab the headlines, but the Ivory Coast international is Manchester City’s driving force. Toure’s calming influence in the centre of the park is vital to the Citizens’ success, whether he is breaking up a counter-attack or beginning his own team’s attacking forays. The former Barcelona man already has three goals this season, all fantastic long-range efforts from free-kicks and open play. Simply put, with Toure on the pitch Manchester City have more purpose and quality in midfield, without their talisman they just don’t look the same.
Manchester United – Marouane Fellaini: Some eyebrows were raised when Manchester United spent £27.5m on Fellaini in a last-minute deadline day deal. Now the onus is on the big Belgian to show his employers and supporters that it was money well spent. If Fellaini can reproduce the form he had in his five seasons with Everton he will go a long way towards silencing his detractors. Moyes undoubtedly believes in a player who has the ability to mix it up in the midfield and battle from box to box, while at the same time showing he is a real goalscoring threat going forward. At Old Trafford, the 25-year-old will have all the support he needs to try and become one of Europe’s premier midfielders.
Match Predicition
There was a time a few years back where Manchester United dominated this fixture, however the last few seasons have seen Manchester City close the gap and challenge their enemy on a more consistent basis. A case could be made for any result to occur at the Etihad Stadium. Derbies like this one, with so much passion on display and pride to play for, seem to always see form and league positioning thrown out of the window. Both clubs have yet to find their rhythm and that could prove beneficial to the neutral as the game could swing back and forth. It is just too tough to pick one side or the other. A score draw seems like a result that is certainly probable. Manchester City 1-1 Manchester United.
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