Manchester City vs Manchester United: 5 key battles that could decide the derby | Premier League 2020-21

It is time for one of the premier fixtures of European football, as Manchester City and Manchester United lock horns for the 185th time in the famous Manchester Derby on Sunday.

Although at the time of writing, this is a battle between first and second, the full-time score should have little impact on the final outcome of the 2020-21 Premier League season.

Manchester City should comfortably secure their third triumph in four years, having built a seemingly unassailable 14-point lead over their bitter rivals.

That being said, the Manchester derby - like any other derby in the world - has more than just three points at stake. More than anything else, it is the bragging rights that the fans of the two teams around the globe pine for.

The home team, Manchester City, have won 21 games on the trot and are favourites to make it 22. But football is never played or won on paper, so Manchester United will aim not to read too much into those stats.

These five individual battles will prove crucial in determining who prevails when the final whistle is blown.

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#5 Ilkay Gundogan vs Scott McTominay

Manchester United need McTominay to have a solid game

Ilkay Gundogan will be turning 31 later this year, and he has never been better. The German international is in the form of his life, racking up goals at a rate any striker would be proud of. He has been a handful for defenders, using his tricky off-the-ball movement to lose his markers. On top of that, his regular midfield play involving passing and tackling has also been excellent.

He has already proven that he loves playing against a top-6 side, and Manchester United will be wary of the same. If Scott McTominay can guard the former Borussia Dortmund man effectively, City will find it a lot harder to break the Reds' backline.

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#4 Edinson Cavani vs Ruben Dias

Cavani must use his experience to create chances out of nothing for Manchester United.

With Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, and Anthony Martial all struggling in-front of goal of late for Manchester United, the responsibility of putting the ball into the back of the net has fallen on Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes.

City's defense has been incredibly resolute this season, thus Fernandes will struggle to cause the Cityzens many problems all by himself.

A stage as big as this simply needs an experienced head like Edinson Cavani to step up. His presence in the box gives Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men a different dynamic when on the front foot.

His hold-up play will need to be near perfect for Manchester United, and if a chance falls to him inside the box, he needs to test Ederson at the very least. To numb the Uruguayan's influence on the match, Ruben Dias will need to be at his usual best. Cavani is one of the most physical centre-forwards in the game today, and someone like a Ruben Dias will need to go for every header with all he has got in his tank.

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#3 Riyad Mahrez vs Luke Shaw

Manchester United v Manchester City - Premier League

In a battle between two in-form players, Riyad Mahrez is sure to have a few attempts at beating Luke Shaw 1v1 on Sunday evening. Mahrez is one of the Premier League's most skillful players, and any fullback will have a task on his hands to keep the Algerian quiet.

Thankfully, for Manchester United, they have a left-back on the top of his game in Luke Shaw. The English international has been in great form this season, winning many of the individual battles he has participated in. Riyad Mahrez, too, needs to stay alert at all times and help his right-back when the Red Devils get the ball, because Shaw has been very effective going forward as well.

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#2 Raheem Sterling vs Aaron Wan-Bissaka

One of the most anticipated winger-fullback match-ups right now, Raheem Sterling against Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a duel people would pay to watch. Sterling is one of the best wingers in Europe presently, and can embarrass any fullback on his day. However, his England teammate Aaron Wan-Bissaka is one nut he is yet to crack.

In their previous meetings, Wan-Bissaka has emerged as the winner of their personal duels on most occasions. His tackling ability is undoubtedly incredible, so much so that even Raheem Sterling has failed to get the better of him.

However, having broken his Anfield curse earlier this year, one wouldn't bet against Sterling having a game to remember against Manchester United either. Wan-Bissaka must know that his record against Sterling will matter little when the two face off again.

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#1 Bruno Fernandes vs Kevin De Bruyne

Fernandes hasn't enjoyed much success against the traditional 'Big 6'.

Albeit not a straight-up battle against each other, this is still very much a fixture headlined as a showdown between two of the best midfielders in the world right now. Kevin De Bruyne has established himself among the greats with jaw-dropping performances over the past few seasons. Bruno Fernandes is aiming to do the same, and is well on course.

However, the Portuguese's record against the 'Big 6' has been subject to harsh criticism from football fans around the world. He will get no bigger stage to prove his critics wrong than the Manchester Derby as he faces off against City's midfield supremo. Manchester United may not win the title this season, but Fernandes could secure many individual accolades with a performance to remember against Manchester City.

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