Manchester United will be aiming to narrow the 14-point gap between them and Manchester City when the fierce rivals clash at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
15 straight league wins have seen Pep Guardiola’s men open up an almost unassailable lead at the top of the Premier League table.
Absolute 𝐆𝐎𝐀𝐋𝐒 back in 2016! 🙌 ⏰ #OnThisDay 2016🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klUGiM pic.twitter.com/FLDtsFy5b4— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 5, 2021
Absolute 𝐆𝐎𝐀𝐋𝐒 back in 2016! 🙌 ⏰ #OnThisDay 2016🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klUGiM pic.twitter.com/FLDtsFy5b4
Meanwhile, a run of just two wins in their last seven games has seen Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side fall off the pace in the title race.
Man City recorded their fifteenth consecutive league win by securing a dominating 4-1 victory over Wolves earlier in the week.
With the score at 1-1, a Gabriel Jesus brace, along with a goal from Riyad Mahrez, saw City score three times in the final ten minutes to blow Nuno’s side away.
It goes without saying that Man City have all but wrapped up the Premier League title this season, but Guardiola will be eager to keep his players hungry.
Given the freakish form that his team has been in over the past few months, it is difficult to imagine any complacence creeping in.
Not only are City the highest scorers in the league, but they also boast the best defensive record, having conceded just 17 goals in 27 games.
In the red half of Manchester, United’s form has dipped of late. Granted, they have only lost one of their previous 21 league games.
However, following six draws in their last ten games, the Red Devils have dropped far too many points in recent weeks.
After drawing 0-0 with Chelsea last weekend, United were held to another goalless draw in midweek, this time against Crystal Palace.
Solskjaer’s men racked up 63% possession and 11 shots, yet they only managed to register one attempt on target at Selhurst Park.
With third-place Leicester just one point behind, Man Utd could let second place slip if they continue to throw away points.
Head-to-head: The last time these two sides met, Man City knocked Man Utd out of the League Cup with a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford in January.
However, City have failed to win any of their last three Premier League meetings with United, suffering two defeats in the process.
Team news: Man City have enjoyed a relatively injury-free spell of late, with only Nathan Ake currently on the sidelines.
On the flip side, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Phil Jones are all injured for Man Utd, while David de Gea missed the previous game due to personal reasons.
Form generally goes out the window when these two sides clash, but it is difficult to imagine Man Utd ending Man City’s remarkable winning streak right now.
Forebet predicts that City will claim the Manchester bragging rights with a comfortable victory on Sunday, scoring over 1.5 goals while keeping a clean sheet.