Both sides of the Manchester divide will be hoping some derby delight can add impetus to disappointing seasons when City host United on Saturday, while Liverpool travel to Bournemouth aiming to surge further clear at the top of the English Premier League. (More Football News)
Manchester United got a bad🌺ly needed win for managꦦer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Wednesday, inflicting a first defeat as Tottenham manager on Jose Mourinho as the Portuguese returned to Old Trafford.
The Red Devils were again reliant on Marcu☂s Rashford goals as the England forward struck twice to take his tally to 12 in 13 games for club and country.
"He was strong, direct, taking people on, inside and outside with n✤o fear," sai💦d Solskjaer.
"That's what we want -- we want to see boys enjoying themselves." There has been precious lit🅰tle for United fans to enjoy this season, but just a fifth Premier League victory in 15 games was enough to lift them up to ༒sixth.
That is still 11 points adဣrift of third-placed City, despite their own struggles at times.
Pep Guardiola's men looked more like their old selves in thrashing Burnley 4-1 on Tuesday with Gabriel🅘 Jesus stepping up in the absence of the injured Sergio Aguero to score twice.
City have lost just one of six league meetings with United since Guardiola took charge three yဣears ago and cannot afford to slip up if they are to maintain any aspirations of catching Liverpool in the title race.
The English champions could kick-off at the Etihad 14 points behind the leaders, should Jurgen Klopp's men continue their scintillating f🌳or꧅m at Bournemouth earlier on Saturday.
"For the distaꦗnce we are behind Liverpool it would be crazy to think about the title, we have to think about the der♚by," said Guardiola.
Strength in depth
Klopp could even afford the luxury of leaving Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah on the bench for a 5-2 thrashing of Everton in the Merseyside derby in m🍰idweek.
Both are expected to return for the visit to the south coast, but Klopp may rest some of his stars who did start against Everton ahead of a h꧟uge week for the European champions.
Liverpool travel to Salzburg in the Champions League on Tuesday needing to avoid defeat if their defeꦿnce of the title 💎is not to embarrassingly end in the group stages.
Divock Origi scored twice against Everton and Xherdan Shaqiri struck on his first start of the season to prove Klopp does hav🌱e the strength in depth to successfully shuffle his pack▨.
"It's easy for me to tell the🌺m often, very often, how good they are but if they then don't play it's not too easy for them to always understand what I say," said Klopp.
"But if they play and deliver like they did, it's a very, very important sign for the whole 𒆙squad."
Leicester aiming for cloud nine
Leicester remain Liverpool's closest challengers, eight ဣpoints back in second, thanks to a run of eight straight wins in all 🧔competitions.
"The team is developing and are proving they have a winning mentality and mindset," said Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers, who has dismissed speculation linki🃏ng him with the vacant managerial role at🤡 Arsenal.
Next up for the in-form 𒐪Foxes is a trip to Aston Villa on Sunday.
Villa are one of a host of teams hauled back into the battle to avoid relegation by Southampt🎶on's resurgence with Dean Smith's men just one point above the drop zone.
Fixtures (all times IST)
Saturday: 6:00 PM - Everton vs Chelsea; 8:30 ⛦PM - Bournemo💙uth vs Liverpool, Tottenham vs Burnley, Watford vs Crystal Palace; 11:00 PM - Manchester City vs Manchester United
Sunday: 7:30 PM - Aston Villa vs Leicester, Newcastle vs Southampton, Norwich vs Sheffield Unitꦅed; 10:00 PM - Brighton vs Wo𒊎lves
Monday: 1:30 AM - West Ham vs Arsenal
(AFP)
