Manchester City will play hosts to Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon, hoping to pick up another victory in the derby and extend their massive 14-point lead at the top of the Premier League standings. Pep Guardiola’s players managed to secure a brilliant 4-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanders in midweek, so they will be keen on extending their incredible winning run versus Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side this weekend.
In contrast, the Red Devils have drawn all three of their past matches across all competitions without scoring a goal. As long as Man City doesn’t get complacent, Guardiola will expect his players to perform well enough to secure all three points from this highly anticipated Manchester derby.
Here are three things the Man City boss should do to ensure his team can emerge victorious at the Etihad this weekend.
Continue Playing Gabriel Jesus As His First-team Forward
Gabriel Jesus has often been rotated in recent weeks. However, Guardiola should start him in this game after the Brazilian striker bagged a brace versus Wolves earlier this month. Sergio Aguero is still not ready to play the full 90 minutes, so it would be best if the Mancunian outfit relied on Jesus to do most of the damage up top.
Reinstate Ilkay Gundogan Back To His Midfield
Man City deserves a lot of credit for showing no signs of slowing down during Ilkay Gundogan’s recent injury absence. However, the German midfield ace should be fit enough for a start in this game. Considering how prolific Gundogan has been in front of the opposition goal, Guardiola would be wise to name him in his first-team. His match-winning performance against Liverpool at Anfield a few weeks ago proves that Gundogan has the quality to make a real difference in these high-profile matches in English football.
Give Phil Foden A Start And Use Sterling’s Pace Off The Bench
Raheem Sterling had a quiet game in the 4-1 win over Nuno Espirito Santo’s men earlier this week. Therefore, Guardiola has every reason to rotate him out of his first-team and give Phil Foden a chance to impress on the left side of his Man City attack. The English youngster is maturing into a top player in the Premier League, so there is a good chance that he might produce another eye-catching display versus the Red Devils on Sunday afternoon.
Foden’s inclusion would also give the Man City head coach the option to use Raheem Sterling off the bench and add more pace to his frontline if needed.
