Manchester City could unofficially win or lose the Premier League title on Wednesday night at Old Trafford.
The Cityzens will cash in their game in hand and a victory would send them one point above title rivals Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola’s team may be chasing a title but Manchester United are searching to rediscover their best form. The Red Devils have lost six of their last eight matches in all competitions.
The improvement in form Manchester United received under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is gone as players like Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku have reverted to their play under Jose Mourinho.
Manchester United were humiliated at Goodison Park, 4-0, at the weekend. The Red Devils must show up on Wednesday night and put in their best performance or face falling further away from the top four.
Guardiola’s team overcame Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, 1-0. The Cityzens may have failed to get past Spurs in the Champions League, but they strengthened their case for a Premier League title with the win.
Kevin De Bruyne will miss the fixture due to a hamstring injury. The Belgian suffered the injury against Tottenham and it could keep him sidelined for the remainder of the season.
The good news for Guardiola is De Bruyne is the only player out besides long-term absentee Claudio Bravo.
Solskjaer will be without Eric Bailly and Antonio Valencia due to injury. Neither have played in some time for the Red Devils.
Midfielder Ander Herrera could make the team but he has missed the last six matches. Herrera may not be risked due to the magnitude of the fixture.
After Manchester United’s 4-0 loss to Everton, there is potential for them to be humiliated further. Although Manchester City haven’t been scoring a lot of goals in recent games, the derby could inspire them to pile on the misery for Manchester United.
Manchester United have not won against the Cityzens at Old Trafford since 2016 in the League Cup. Their recent record against Manchester City at home has not be very good.
The Red Devils have secured just two wins in their last five matches at Old Trafford against Manchester City in all competitions.
The last three matches between Manchester United and Manchester City in the Premier League have all ended with over 2.5 goals scored. Wednesday night’s massive fixture will see goals fly in.
Manchester United are struggling to defend and with the Cityzens in desperate need of a win to go back to the top of the table, goals should be expected between the rivals.
Manchester City will pile on the pressure on Solskjaer as he continues to struggle under the weight of misfiring stars. The Cityzens will win, go back to the top of the league, and over 2.5 goals will be scored at Old Trafford.