Just outside Manchester United v Manchester City - Premier League - Saturday 12th December 2020 KO 15.30 GMT -Premier League Match Preview and MDT | Vital Football

Just outside Manchester United v Manchester City - Premier League - Saturday 12th December 2020 KO 15.30 GMT -Premier League Match Preview and MDT

Buzz Lightyear

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Santa Claus is a City Fan
Wow it is December already and nearly Christmas and we have had to wait to play Oily's men(boys) They are a slippery lot and did the double over us last season and it will be a tough game and penalties are bound to be given but which end maybe the question and Var will be on hand to add to the fun of this game. We are not banging them in as much as we would like and Teams are getting more crafty in their approach and Stretford may just allow us the majority of the ball hoping to get us on the break.
City has a better defence this season, not that they did not have a decent one last season with only one team conceding fewer goals than us and they won the title. So this game might not have a shed full of goals and it could be won by the odd goal

City Team News
Eric Garcia and Ilkay Gundogan (ankle) are both doubts after they were forced off with knocks in the 3-0 win over Marseille, the good news is that Ilkay Gundigan has trained ahead of the match but Eric is out for several weeks, whilst Pep Guardiola has also confirmed Sergio Aguero will not start after making a goalscoring return from injury against the French side whilst here we’ll bring you the latest news as it happens on mancity.com.

Beat the Pep
Ederson
Cancelo Dias Stones Mendy
Rodri, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Sterling, Mahrez
Torres

Match Officials
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
Assistants: Lee Betts, Constantine Hatzidakis.
Fourth official: Craig Pawson.
VAR: Paul Tierney. Assistant
VAR: Ian Hussin.

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Premier League- Tuesday 15th December 2020 ko- 20:00 GMT -
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Manchester City v West Bromwich Albion
 
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Ederson Walker Mendy Stones Dias Rhodri Gundogan De Bruyne Mahrez
Sterling G Jesus

Cancelo Laporte Foden B Silva Torres Aguero

If Rodri isn't fully fit, I think Fernie would be a shout here, even though two full games on the trot is a huge ask.
 
Ederson
Walker Dias Stones Mendy
Rodri, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Sterling, Mahrez
Torres
Must have Walker for his pace vs Rashnaldo. Hope we win, this really is a 6 pointer for us, we must not lose.
 
Ederson
Walker Dias Stones Mendy
Rodri, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Sterling, Mahrez
Torres
Must have Walker for his pace vs Rashnaldo. Hope we win, this really is a 6 pointer for us, we must not lose.


I thought about that JK but Kyle is vulnerable to being conned into giving away a penalty with 'Rashnaldo' and 'Fernandes the Dive' ready to go down at the slightest touch in the box, but Cancelo would get them outside the box before sticking the boot in. The same goes for Mendy but we don't have a reliable left back, Ake not match fit yet.

I do like the Dias Laporte partnership, but do not know why Pep has plumped for Stonsey over him.
 
from the OS www.mancity.com

WE'RE NOT REALLY HERE
Gareth Barry, Michael Brown and Shaun Goater will be the guests on our live matchday show.
Cel Spellman will be hosting the show, which begins at 16:30 (UK), one hour before we kick-off against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men.
We’re Not Really Here is available to watch on all of our digital platforms and offers a City focused perspective to your pre-match build-up, with Barry, Brown and Goater sharing their thoughts and derby memories as we prepare for the big game.
The show resumes at half-time for a brief summary of the opening 45 minutes and, five minutes after the final whistle, we’ll be live for half an hour of post-match reaction.
Our guests will dissect the game and respond to the fans’ Man of the Match poll, questions, and comments, whilst we will also hear a player’s reaction and, time permitting, watch Guardiola’s post-match press conference.
United v City: Match preview (mancity.com)
 
I thought about that JK but Kyle is vulnerable to being conned into giving away a penalty with 'Rashnaldo' and 'Fernandes the Dive' ready to go down at the slightest touch in the box, but Cancelo would get them outside the box before sticking the boot in. The same goes for Mendy but we don't have a reliable left back, Ake not match fit yet.

I do like the Dias Laporte partnership, but do not know why Pep has plumped for Stonsey over him.

Walker is prone to a rush of blood. The Stones v Laporte situation has been puzzling me. Initially I thought he was saving Laporte as we have so many games this month. Perhaps Pep is seeing something in training.... perhaps Aymeric is still not quite at his best as he recovers from his significant injury...:shrug:

Pep will confound us all today and play Dias and Laporte 🤣
 
Walker is prone to a rush of blood. The Stones v Laporte situation has been puzzling me. Initially I thought he was saving Laporte as we have so many games this month. Perhaps Pep is seeing something in training.... perhaps Aymeric is still not quite at his best as he recovers from his significant injury...:shrug:

Pep will confound us all today and play Dias and Laporte 🤣


I can only think that is the problem that he is not moving as smoothly as he was prior to the injury and while Stones is in great form, why drop him. Dias can play with both of them just as well and if Pep ever plays that three at the back we have that option plus Ake who will get better, but I think he is basically being used as cover at left back
 
I can only think that is the problem that he is not moving as smoothly as he was prior to the injury and while Stones is in great form, why drop him. Dias can play with both of them just as well and if Pep ever plays that three at the back we have that option plus Ake who will get better, but I think he is basically being used as cover at left back
I'm not sure that Ake is being used as cover. He has been injured, but I hope that Pep sees him as being up there with Mendy and Cancello. Not sure what's going to happen to Zinch, though.
 
I'm not sure that Ake is being used as cover. He has been injured, but I hope that Pep sees him as being up there with Mendy and Cancello. Not sure what's going to happen to Zinch, though.
his City career was saved when Mendy was injured and we sold Delph, he stepped in, but in reality, he is a midfielder but has not progressed whereby the City fan asked to name his team and subs would have Zinchenko in mind until trying to think of a 7th sub.

He has been on the brink of a sale and we just cannot get him through the door, but is a good squad player and may do well in a team out of the top 6.
 
I've have just been informed I'll be watching the Derby from the confines of my office. I guess I ruin it for the family by taking it too seriously, whatever that means.:cautious:
 
De Bruyne: Players know how important derby is
Kevin De Bruyne was the man tasked with the pre-match media duties this week. Here's what he had to say on number of derby talking points...
Players understanding the significance of the game...
“I don’t think anyone needs to tell any player how important the derby is. I think everybody knows the importance because wherever you play there is one derby you are going to play for each team. It doesn’t matter if you are in Belgium, Germany or England, the derby is always an important game, especially for the supporters because it gives them the bragging rights and that is no different in Manchester."
On United looking to bounce back from midweek disappointment...
“We need to be careful because everything that has happened this week, it is a good game for them to change the switch. They will want to show a different side to what happened in Leipzig and we need to be aware of that."
On United's struggles at home...
“It doesn’t mean anything. This is a different game and I can understand that when you are a big club like Manchester United that teams are going to set up more defensively when they play away and that is maybe where they had some issues."
Mancity - Official Club Website
 
XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias, Cancelo, Fernandinho (C), Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Sterling, Jesus.

SUBS: Steffen, Gundogan, Laporte, Bernardo, Torres, Mendy, Foden.
 
Commentary By John Edwards @
16:36
Talking tactics
As always, we'll have to wait until kick-off to find out exactly how each team will line up, but it looks like the usual 4-3-3 for City.
The biggest question is whether Rodrigo and Fernandinho will both sit deep in midfield, or whether one will adopt a slightly more advanced role.
A 4-4-2 diamond looks a possible option for United, with Fred sitting deepest in midfield and Bruno Fernandes in the No.10 role behind the forward pair of Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.
 
a blow especially when his presence even on the bench would have put fear into the rags
This really is beginning to worry me now. Even after he has been treated by Pep's go-to guy for knee problems, Dr Cugat, he cannot seem to resolve whatever is troubling him with his injury :shake: