Good afternoon and welcome to our live blog of the Manchester derby, contested as you might imagine by Manchester City and Manchester United. The match will kick off at the somewhat unusual time of 3.30pm this Sunday afternoon, and we will have all the build-up and coverage ahead of team news at about half two, and then kick off an hour later. The bookies have United at as much as 9/1 in some places to win: how are the mighty fallen. Will City’s empire last forever, or will they too fall from grace as their rivals once did?
Erik ten Hag has some injury woes to content with: Harry Maguire has joined Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia and Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the sidelines. He says it is “a puzzle” as to who he can field.
Ten Hag said: “We have to lay the puzzle because we are still missing full-backs. We are still missing centre-halves. So we have to be creative but I think we can. On Wednesday, we showed we can, if we have the right plan.
“But, more important than that, if we have that passion, and that ambition, and desire and determination to win the game, then we are able to do it.”
He talks a lot about passion and drive, does ten Hag: is that where United’s shortcomings lie? They’ve let in ten in their last two visits to the Noisy Neighbours, but he is striking a confident note nonetheless.
“From January on, we are in very good form, on a very good run. We bounced back (at Forest) and we have to keep this process going. We’re looking forward, great games are coming up – big games and good challenges.
“So the team is really excited about that. I’m excited about going into this game, and also the coming games, but Sunday is very important.”
Certainly is: City are second on 59 points, four points behind Liverpool with this fixture representing the game in hand. Both will have played 27 by the end of tonight. United’s bid for the Champions League places, such as it is, sees them 11 points behind fourth-placed Villa…
United will be hoping that the form book goes out the window, as the saying goes, but we shall have to see.