Talking Points: United Vs City

The Manchester derby is always preceded by a concoction of talking points and this week is no different, with United and City preparing to square off in the EFL Cup. Here are five of the key topics and sub-plots that will underpin Wednesday’s Old Trafford blockbuster...

1: A STAGE TO BOUNCE BACK
Sunday's 4-0 defeat to Chelsea means United are now without a Premier League win in three matches, following the draws with Stoke City (1-1) and Liverpool (0-0). Jose Mourinho was particularly disappointed by the one-sided nature of the loss at Stamford Bridge and a positive result against City in the cup would help remedy that feeling, especially after losing the previous derby on 10 September.

Similarly, despite an impressive start to the season, City have not won in five matches across all competitions and the Blues would love a victory at Old Trafford to halt what has become an alarming run of results. Pep Guardiola's team also suffered a chastening 4-0 defeat of their own last Wednesday when they were comfortably dismantled by Barcelona at Camp Nou in the Champions League. Rarely have both teams headed into a derby in such wayward, inconsistent form.

2: TEAM SELECTION: GO STRONG OR ROTATE?
Mourinho made nine changes to his starting XI for United’s 3-1 win at Northampton Town in the previous round, but the boss may be tempted to name his strongest team on Wednesday with the stakes so high. He has won the competition three times in his career (2005, 2007, 2015) and will be determined to knock a rival out of the competition at this early stage, with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs.

Meanwhile, Guardiola also rotated his squad for City's third-round triumph against Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium, naming a handful of youngsters with the likes of David Silva, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero all watching from home. But what will the Catalan do at United? His choices will be fascinating.

3: BOTH TEAMS HAVE INJURIES
Eric Bailly is almost certainly unavailable for United after picking up a knee injury in the second half at Stamford Bridge, while Wayne Rooney is a question mark after missing that game with a muscle problem that he picked up in training last Friday. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, whose last game was the Manchester derby in September, is also working his way back to full fitness at the Aon Training Complex.

City are expected to be without star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, England international Fabian Delph and ex-Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna, while experienced campaigner Pablo Zabaleta remains a doubt.

4: EXTRA TIME AND PENALTIES
United and City have met on 172 previous occasions, but never before has a competitive match between the pair gone to extra time or penalties. That is a distinct possibility this week because all EFL Cup ties must be decided on the night. So if you’re heading to Old Trafford, or just watching on television around the world, you might want to prepare yourself for what could be a long and potentially dramatic evening.

5: BRING ON THE NOISE
There’s always a heightened atmosphere surrounding the Manchester derby, yet there is something uniquely special about a one-off cup tie beneath the glow of the Old Trafford floodlights and Wednesday’s match has the potential to live long in the memory – just like the 2010 League Cup semi-finals.

We can confirm that City will have 7,857 supporters in the away end, which will be the East Stand second tier on this occasion, and that will certainly contribute to the noise levels. It's set to be a lively night.