Introduction
The biggest match of the season so far takes place at Old Trafford on Sunday when Manchester City are the visitors. Both sides are unbeaten thus far with the "noisy neighbours" having accumulated two more points and are two better off in terms of goal difference.
The boss reported in his pre-match press conference that he has a clean bill of health in his squad which gives him numerous options with which to build his master plan to beat City. Mancini will have Balotelli back in the squad after he missed the midweek Champions League encounter while Owen Hargreaves could be included in the squad against his former club.
StatZone by Rahul Singh
It is the first time since 1968 that City and United have met while occupying first and second place in the league table.
Manchester City have only won once at Old Trafford since 1974, 2-1 win in 2008.
Manchester City have fired in more shots on target (65) than any other side in the Premier League.
In last 25 Premier League games United have dropped only 2 points at Old Trafford & have won the last 19 games.
Michael Owen has scored 7 goals in eight Premier League games against Manchester City, Rooney has netted in 5 against them.
In the last 8 matches, all competitions between United & City there have been FIVE 90th min or extra time goals scored.
Roberto Mancini had a busy summer recruiting the likes of Clichy, Nasri and Aguero amongst others to further bolster a squad high on talent. They have begun the season well having dropped just two points after an away draw at Fulham. They have scored at least two goals in every Premier League game thus far which helps to emphasise the task facing United on Sunday.
The signing of Aguero was seen as a masterstroke by the Italian as it not only meant he was a replacement for the mercenary Tevez but arguably an upgrade in terms of quality. Nine goals already prove that point perfectly and added to a team ethic that the sly Argentinian can only dream of, it looks like Mancini has struck gold.
Samir Nasri was recruited from Arsenal for a significant fee despite being in the last year of his contract and while not excelling to any significant level as yet will no doubt add class and subtlety to City's attacking intent.
Mancini has dealt well with the ongoing tedium that is the Tevez affair. It seems inconceivable that that he will play for the club again but this is City we are talking about and you could never fully rule this out. The Italian has adopted a more attacking style this season which has brought its reward with the points accumulated thus far. It will be interesting to see if he reverts to a more defensive mindset as the season progresses or maintains this early season style. You get the impression that he would accept a point from Sunday's game right now so his team selection will be telling as to his true intent.
United
With United's long-standing weakness in midfield, you would imagine that Ferguson's formation choice will involve any extra man to match up with the opponent's likely lineup. This can often lead to the front man becoming isolated but this should be less prevalent with the team playing at home where natural momentum should mean that support is quick to join in.
The manager arguably has the option to pick his first choice back five once more with the expected return of Vidic after injury and following the resting of Rio Ferdinand from this week's trip to Romania. Chris Smalling looks to be first choice at right back now after his recent injury lay off curtailed his impressive early season form. De Gea will get his first taste of the cauldron that is a Manchester derby after impressing in recent games following a difficult start. His confidence looks to be rising with each outing and he will be a key figure on Sunday with his famed ability with the ball at his feet and out of hand to get United on the attack.
My pick in the midfield is Carrick sitting deep with Anderson and Fletcher alongside slightly advanced looking to support the front men. It is a big game for the Brazilian whose early season promise has evaporated into some increasingly frustrating displays that echo previous campaigns. Much of the midfield creativity will be on his shoulders with the workmanlike Scotsman expected to play a pressing and harrying role. With Tom Cleverley expected to return very soon, Anderson will hope that they can rekindle their partnership rather than the ex Porto man being the one to make way. Carrick was excellent in midweek and once more covered more yards than any other player. He will have to be wary of the movement from the City wide players who tend to roam and have a habit of popping up in central areas.
Up front, it has to be Nani, Rooney and Young as the three players with most form in the early part of the season. Valencia's poor display on Tuesday all but rules him out as he looked bereft of confidence and lacklustre when it came to crossing. His confidence may be low after missing much of pre-season and it is hoped that this will return very shortly. For these reasons, Nani deserves to start as right wing in each game. It is unfair to shift our most creative outlet onto the other flank where he is frequently ineffectual. Ashley Young's early season promise has dipped somewhat recently but it is hoped that a bumper home crowd can inspire him to hit the heights once again. His defensive capabilities will be much needed to assist Evra at times while the pair will also need to find the time to double up on Richards when the game allows. Rooney will be restored to the league lineup after being omitted from the Anfield battle last weekend. He has a fine record against our local rivals and will look to emulate his iconic overhead kick from last season that I had the privilege to be right behind from high up in the North stand.
A slightly bolder selection would see a central midfielder drop out with either Welbeck or Hernández being asked to play as the main forward and Rooney dropping deep to supplement both the attack and midfield when required. It would be something similar to what was seen last weekend as he slipped into a much deeper role as United chased their vital equaliser. This would be a high risk strategy though could be used if we are once more chasing the game.
Score Prediction
This could prove to be a pivotal game in the destiny of the Premier League so I would envisage it being a cagey and tight affair. In my opinion, both managers may well accept a point with all things considered. However, with the remarkable home record they possess, I think United will nick this 2-1 with goals from Rooney and Fletcher. These three points will set the Reds up perfectly for the rest of the season with all their rivals having been played and coming through relatively unscathed.
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Who would you pick for the derby on Sunday? Would you go for a more standard 4-4-2? Please leave any comments below.
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This could prove to be a pivotal game in the destiny of the Premier League so I would envisage it being a cagey and tight affair. In my opinion, both managers may well accept a point with all things considered. However, with the remarkable home record they possess, I think United will nick this 2-1 with goals from Rooney and Fletcher. These three points will set the Reds up perfectly for the rest of the season with all their rivals having been played and coming through relatively unscathed.
Click on the button below to follow me on Twitter and/or recommend this post on Facebook.
Who would you pick for the derby on Sunday? Would you go for a more standard 4-4-2? Please leave any comments below.
Follow @writtenoff_mufc
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