My heart says United... but my head tells me Blues will take three points

IT’S derby time – and what a game we have tonight with United out to completely ruin Pep Guardiola’s first season at City.

I don’t mind admitting I was wrong about City, who under Pep I expected would win the Premier League – and maybe the Champions League too! But here we are now with City 200/1 for the title at Betfred so, realistically, just a top-four finish to play for which simply isn’t good enough for such an ambitious club with their resources.

United can leapfrog City by winning at the Etihad in the game that will have a huge impact in the battle for an all-important Champions League qualifying place.

Thankfully, Liverpool can give both Manchester clubs ‘Get Out of Jail’ cards as they have played more games, and more inconsistency during the run-in could see them drop out of the picture – leaving the top positions ending something like this: Chelsea, Spurs, City and United.

My head says City will win tonight for three reasons – although I stress my heart is naturally with United who are on a great unbeaten run.

City are at home, have less injury problems – and significantly it is marginally a more important game for the Blues who have won nothing in Guardiola’s debut season.

Jose Mourinho, on the other hand, has some silverware with the League Cup already won and, of course, the other door to Champions League qualification by winning the Europa League still open.

In fact, it could work the other way – if United do finish in the top four AND win the Europa League we’ll have five clubs in the Champions League which will give hope to Liverpool and Arsenal. Much of the

betting is around who will score first tonight with naturally Sergio Aguero and the only Mancunian on the pitch, Marcus Rashford, at the forefront of fans’ thoughts. Who will be the derby man-of-the-match is proving to be of great interest, with the excellent Kevin de Bruyne 9/1 at Betfred and United’s man for the big occasion – Jesse Lingard – 14/1.

All day Mourinho and Guardiola will be waiting anxiously for the medical bulletins – and this game could well turn on which of the big names overcomes injury and is available for the most significant of derbies.

United have looked better in the last six games than in the last three seasons with Mourinho at last getting performances that reflect his personality. His tough love approach is working with Rashford – and now with Anthony Martial – although not yet, in my opinion, with Luke Shaw.

City are bruised at the way the season has gone, culminating in the FA Cup semi-final defeat against Arsenal so will come out tonight all guns blazing.

Older players in the squad will be out to impress, for Guardiola has proved reputations don’t matter as he finalises a clear-out like no other. He wants a squad capable of competing with his former clubs Barcelona and Bayern Munich as well as Real and Atletico Madrid.

One way of sussing out who will win is by creating a fantasy Manchester team. Mine, who I hate to say includes more Blues than my beloved Reds, would line up: De Gea; Valencia, Kompany, Bailly, Clichy; De Bruyne, Pogba, Silva; Rashford, Aguero, Sane.

Anyone agree? Doubt it, but one thing we can all agree on is that tonight we will enjoy a football spectacle – a derby that proves that although London clubs are dominating affairs this season it is only a blip – and Manchester is the true capital of football.