Premier League 2018-19: 5 Key battles that could decide the Manchester Derby
Manchester City and Manchester United would be locking horns for the 177th time in their history in all competitions. Overall United enjoy a better record than their noisy neighbors. However, there is a contrast between the past and the present. Manchester United has been the dominating team since long, until Sheikh Mansoor took over City and reshaped the club into an unstoppable force in Europe.
The turning point in City's history was clinching the title on the very last day when Sir Alex Ferguson was still the manager at Old Trafford. Since then, the blue half of Manchester has been a revolution, and under Pep Guardiola they have become an unbeatable side.
Jose Mourinho usually delivers against the top sides and last season was a testament to that when Manchester United came back to win at the Etihad. It was not enough to win the league but certainly a confidence booster before the upcoming game. The Portuguese is known for his tactical mastery and blocking the opposition out which would be crucial in this fixture as well.
With a lot at stake, here are five key battles that could decide the fate of the derby.
#5 Antony Martial vs Kyle Walker
Antony Martial is in a rich vein of form at the moment having scored five goals in his last five games. The Frenchman is United's best bet to attack City from the flanks and Jose would be hopeful he saves his best for the derby.
However Martial will up against one of the best right backs in the world, Kyle Walker who has become a different player under Guardiola. Antony would have to bring his top game to not only get past Walker in attack but also track his runs down the flanks and stop him from joining the helping City up front.