Manchester derbies at the Etihad Stadium tend to have two distinct outcomes. It is a fixture that plays witness to a cagey 1-0 victory for the home side or a cavalier classic that swings in United's favour by three goals to two. At least that's how it's materialised in the last four encounters.
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has been a strange, common denominator in these ties. Injured and sent off early in two of those clashes, the Belgium defender’s first-half exits were pre-cursors for a couple of wide-open derby defeats. In contrast, when completing 90 minutes the centre-back and his side claimed narrow wins, with a pair of clean sheets to match.
Whether that unusual trend continues on Sunday we will have to wait and see, but ahead of the big match, here are three crucial areas to keep a close eye on.
The experience of trying to contain Manchester City’s plethora of attacking talent varies depending on which side of the field you operate.
From the left, David Silva and Samir Nasri constantly drift inside to link up with their front men, probing in search of an incisive through-ball. While on the opposite flank, old-fashioned winger Jesus Navas (or James Milner) and ambitious full-back Pablo Zabaleta, stretch play as wide as they can with the aim of delivering cross upon cross into the penalty area.
This lopsided pattern is not new; it was evident last season under Roberto Mancini. City have a squad who lack an abundance of left-footers, so it’s no surprise that they are drawn towards the opposite side of the pitch. When they trouble rival defences deep in the final third, it’s predominantly on the right.
Patrice Evra and the left-sided player whom David Moyes selects to play in front of the Frenchman will have plenty of defending to do.
There will be world-class players scattered all over the pitch but Sergio Aguero and Wayne Rooney are two match-winners who can make the difference.
With similar systems in place and immense knowledge of one another's play, both sides could cancel each other out but these two roaming front men have the movement, skill and unpredictability to alter the complexion of the match in a flash.
Aguero's clever footwork in and around the penalty area will be a concern for United’s defence, as it was last season in this fixture, while Manuel Pellegrini, the City manager, will be aware of how hard the mobile Rooney has been to pick up from when his timed runs into the box have gone unopposed in this fixture.
Whoever shines brighter is highly likely to influence the outcome.
It's long been part of the reigning Barclays Premier League champion's DNA to use the full width of the pitch, and their new manager is maintaining the tradition. United have crossed the ball more often than any other side in the Barclays Premier League so far.
Last weekend against Stoke City, and also in recent derby matches, City have struggled when being outnumbered in the full-back areas. Using wide men who are extremely attack-minded leaves them short on protection at times, and Sir Alex Ferguson and his team were particularly adept at taking advantage, pushing the full-backs on to create 2v1 situations. Three of the last six goals Manchester United have scored at the Etihad Stadium came from fast breaks out wide.
Pellegrini's promise of fast attacking football has not quite clicked into gear yet and with stakes so high this weekend, I suspect there will be an air of pragmatism about City's play. United for their part are also yet to find their free-flowing best and will need to improve on the quality of their final ball to unlock a City defence that should contain the returning Kompany.
Whether it is by a mistake or a moment of inspiration, this is a derby that will be determined by small margins.
However, despite United's impressive output this term there is room for improvement when it comes to the quality of their deliveries, with only 16% reaching their intended target. With greater accuracy they can trouble City on Sunday.
No comments:
Post a Comment