All derbies are eagerly anticipated, of course, that is the whole point of the exercise. But Manchester is where it is all happening in English football at the moment. In terms of the personalities and pedigree of the two managers, the staggering amounts of money spent in the transfer window and the impeccable starts United and City have made to the new season, it is clear things have moved up several notches since the memorable Old Trafford meeting five years ago.
Mourinho vs Guardiola head to head
GP. 16. 16
w. 3. 7
D. 6. 6
GF. 18. 28
GA. 28. 18
This derby will be competitive and both teams well-matched and well-managed this time, Manchester is lucky in that respect this season. The only previous time the two sides each won their
three opening matches was in 2011-12, and that was the season City finally prised the title away from their neighbours on goal difference on the final day of the season, with Agüero scoring the now legendary late goal against QPR. This also is the first time the two sides will go into the Manchester derby with 100% records and two new managers pretending to be unconcerned about their previous rivalry in Spain. The stage could hardly be better set or the game more delicately poised.
Going into this derby it seems barely credible that both these teams let Leicester sneak past them last season and, with Mourinho and Guardiola in charge, one doubts that will be happening again. If a lot has changed in the five years since Balotelli’s brace in 2011, even more has changed in the four months since City could manage only a fourth place finish and United ended up in the Europa League. Paul Scholes has said this derby could turn out to be a title decider and, daft as that sounds in September, it might not be so wide of the mark. The millions tuning in to watch will be doing so in the knowledge that more than local pride is at stake. For an early clue to the title destination, this is definitely going to be more interesting this time.
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