A thrilling encounter is in prospect with two English Premier League giants -- Manchester United and Manchester City -- set to play against one another at Old Trafford on Sunday. Things cannot get any better than this Manchester derby during the weekend as it promises to provide a high-intensity game at the Theatre of Dreams.
Manchester United and Manchester City have played some good football this season as they currently lie on fourth and second position respectively in the standings table, however, both the clubs are aware of the chance to climb up the table with a victory at Old Trafford.
"I don't think it is a big issue for us that Manchester City have started well, because you can expect that from a club like City. It's not only a derby, but a match that can see who can be ready to go top of the table," Louis van Gaal told MUTV.
Manchester City, owing to their quality display on the field, are one of the top favourites to win the title. They are unbeaten in their last four games in all competitions, which includes a 6-1 and 5-1 thrashing of Newcastle and Bournemouth respectively.
United can draw inspiration from City's loss against Tottenham Hotspur, who won the game 4-1. The Red Devils' record in their last four games have been mixed bag with two victories, one loss and one draw. However, United players will be pumped up to play in one of the most anticipated derbies of the EPL.
Fans from the both the clubs, along with neutral fans around the world are keenly awaiting for the kickoff. The Manchester derby, undoubtedly, is the big talking point in northwest England at present.
"In Manchester people are talking of the match. I can imagine that because Manchester City have a lot of fans, but Manchester United has more fans so it shall be a battle," Louis van Gaal said.
City, who have been one of the most entertaining team to watch this season, will have to do it without some of their key players, which includes their talismanic striker, Sergio Aguero. Their silky-touch midfielder, David Silva's fitness is also a major cause of concern so it remains to be seen if the Spaniard will be thrown into the mix on Sunday.
However, City have huge depth in the squad with players such as Raheem Sterling, Wilfried Bony, Kevin De Bruyne and Yaya Toure as these stars can make life difficult for United at Old Trafford.
United are coming into this huge game with no fresh injury news, but Ashley Young and Luke Shaw are still unavailable for the match. One is not sure if van Gaal will start with striker Anthony Martial or not as Wayne Rooney is expected to lead the line on Sunday. With such a huge game, Martial, who has been mighty impressive so far, could play on the wings.
Irrespective of the players that are going to start for the respective Manchester sides, the match between the two is expected to a humdinger of a contest.
Where to watch live
Manchester United vs Manchester City EPL clash is scheduled for 3:05pm local time (7:35pm IST, 10:05am ET) start. Indian TV viewers can watch the mega clash on Star Sports 4/HD with live streaming option on Starsports.com.
UK viewers can watch the Manchester United vs Manchester City EPL clash on Sky Sports 1/HD with live streaming option on Sky Go.
Viewers in the US can watch Manchester United vs Manchester City EPL clash live on NBC Sports, while the game can also be live streamed on NBC Live Extra.
Most of the African countries can watch the game live on Supersport 5 Africa.
