NO MORE SLIP-UPS IF PEP WANTS TO REIN IN REDS

THE onus today is not on Manchester United to take the game to Manchester City. It is on City to take it to United. The pressure is on Pep Guardiola more than it is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Another slip and it could be goodnight City, thanks for playing, better luck next year. Arsenal in 1997-98 are the only side in Premier League history to win the title after trailing by 13 points. If Liverpool can win at Bournemouth, City will be 14 points adrift by the time they kick off at the Etihad Stadium this evening. Guardiola was all smiles at Burnley in midweek but I wonder if that was a front. I wonder if that was him trying to show his players he is relaxed and not feeling the heat. Deep down, he will be. He knows City cannot afford more mistakes, like the way they switched off at Newcastle and left Jonjo Shelvey clear to smash home a late equaliser. If City are to have any chance of reining in Liverpool, they need to go on the grind now and reel off the wins. However you do it, whether it’s pretty or not, just make sure you win. What will worry Guardiola is he knows United are better on the counter. The pace of Marcus Rashford could cause problems. Daniel James on the other side can be a threat. Mason Greenwood impressed me against Tottenham on Wednesday, too. His link-up play was neat and tidy. So, United have options in attack. On the flip side, Guardiola has very good players at his disposal, from Kevin De Bruyne to Raheem Sterling. Gabriel Jesus has filled in for Sergio Aguero nicely. This should be a terrific watch.

MY PREDICTION: CITY 3 UNITED 1