The first Manchester Derby of the season has arrived, and it's not looking like it'll be a title decider for the second season in a row. Manchester City enter the day nine points behind league leaders Chelsea, while Manchester United are closer to the bottom half than they are to the Blues.
Manchester City vs. Manchester United live stream: How to watch the EPL online
Let’s all gather round and watch England’s biggest derby.
Both are coming off some less than savory results, though United will certainly be the more pleased of the two teams. Even though they haven't won in their last two games, they did manage to steal a draw against Chelsea with a stoppage time goal last week. City haven't fared so well recently, having lost two in a row at home. They were upset last week by West Ham United, then went down again midweek, as Newcastle knocked them out of the cup.
A City win will be seen as nothing more than the hosts getting back on track, but victory could mean quite a bit more for United. Despite their shaky start, top four is still the expectation about Louis van Gaal, and he’ll feel a lot better about his teams’ prospects of achieving that goal if they can snag a huge win over his side’s biggest rivals.
Key player - Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Falcao's out of the lineup, while Juan Mata is out of form. There's going to be a lot of weight on the shoulders of Wayne Rooney on Sunday, even though he's just coming off both a suspension and injury, and probably won't be the sharpest version of himself. But whenever he plays, he draws most of the blame for United's failures and praise for their successes. This match should be no different.
Key matchup - Daley Blind vs. Sergio Aguero
Daley Blind isn’t an actual defensive midfielder, in case you haven’t noticed yet. He’s an intelligent player who can pass well and win tackles, but he still looks a bit unnatural in his role, even if he is a massive improvement over everyone United’s tried to field in it since Roy Keane retired. He’ll have his hands full with City’s second striker/attacking midfielder Sergio Aguero, who has been the Citizens’ best player this season.
Manchester City injuries and suspensions
Out: David Silva (knee), Frank Lampard (thigh). In doubt: Yaya Toure (groin)
Manchester United injuries and suspensions
Out: Radamel Falcao (calf), Ashley Young (groin), Phil Jones (calf), Patrick McNair (hamstring), Jesse Lingard (knee). In doubt: Jonny Evans (ankle)
City got Samir Nasri back midweek, but lost David Silva to a knee injury. Yaya Toure also picked up a strain, but should be fit to play. Wayne Rooney and Antonio Valencia have been declared fit for Manchester United, but Falcao is out, while Evans is a doubt with an ankle problem.
Match date/time: Sunday, 8:30 a.m. ET, 1:30 p.m. local
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
TV: NBC Sports Network (U.S. - English), Mun2 (U.S. - Spanish), Sky Sports 1 (U.K.), TSN1 (Canada)
Online: NBC Live Extra (U.S. - English), Deportes Telemundo En Vivo (U.S. - Spanish), Sky Go (U.K.), TSN (Canada)
Listings via LiveSoccerTV.
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