Manchester derby: Tale of the tape

Here, we examine which side has the advantage in various departments on the pitch heading into Saturday's Manchester derby, the most anticipated installment of this fierce rivalry in years.

Goalkeepers

The most clear-cut edge in this contest lies between the respective sticks, where Manchester United boasts the best goalkeeper in the country - with all due respect to Thibaut Courtois.

That Manchester City's goalkeeping situation remains in flux only heightens the Red Devils' advantage. Impressive as Claudio Bravo may be, the man brought in to replace the jettisoned Joe Hart has yet to play a match with his new side. Throwing someone into a fire of this magnitude without giving him proper time to acclimate to a new setting - or, more importantly, his defence - carries inherent risk.

Be it Bravo or Willy Caballero (who seems unlikely to get the nod with the former Barcelona shot-stopper now officially in the fold), Jose Mourinho's side holds the edge here thanks to the the pliable David De Gea's superior skills.

Advantage: Manchester United

Defenders

For all of John Stones' good work since his move to the Etihad, the young Englishman is still set to be burdened by either Nicolas Otamendi or Aleksandar Kolarov on Saturday, the two men deputising in central defence as Pep Guardiola awaits the return of oft-injured captain Vincent Kompany.

Though their talents with the ball at their feet come to the fore in Guardiola's system, City's inability to keep a clean sheet in the league this season remains an early concern. Similar issues exist on the flanks: Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna, and Pablo Zabaleta all show their value getting forward, but their haste to do so can leave them exposed in the other direction. Guardiola's desire for his defenders to maraud forward is no secret, but he'll do well to remember that David Alaba and Philipp Lahm aren't walking through that door.

United, meanwhile, has settled quickly under Mourinho. Eric Bailly has been the club's standout performer not named Zlatan, and Daley Blind has thus far banished fears over his suitability to Mourinho's system, slotting in as the elegant ball-playing partner to complement the Ivorian's mettle. Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia are carrying fitness concerns heading into the clash, which complicates matters, but even with only one of them fit, the Red Devils look the more solid of the two sides at the back.

A Mourinho-led club highlighted by defensive solidity. Who knew?

Advantage: Manchester United

Midfielders

The Citizens finally get on the board by virtue of their absurd collection of talent in the middle of the park. Kevin De Bruyne is quickly establishing himself as someone who'll consistently contend for PFA Player of the Year honours; David Silva remains a magician - both in his distribution skills and his ability to get away with subtle fouls; Ilkay Gundogan could make his debut this weekend; Fernandinho, a one-man wrecking crew, can be trusted fully to clean up the mistakes of his peers.

Though Paul Pogba will garner most of the headlines as his first Manchester derby approaches, the world's most expensive footballer is still flanked by Marouane Fellaini.

Solid as he's been in the opening weeks of the campaign, the afro-wearing Belgian is still a limited player, and always carries the risk of being sent to an early shower for a wayward elbow. Ander Herrera and Morgan Schneiderlin are superior talents, but both find themselves behind Fellaini in the pecking order - the Frenchman's been stapled to the bench.

Advantage: Manchester City

Forwards

Ah, Sergio, what could have been.

The suspension-induced absence of Sergio Aguero looms large over the contest, as the talismanic striker was off to a blistering start with six goals in all competitions this season. When fit, there is simply no better finisher in the Premier League. Blossoming star Kelechi Iheanacho, who seems the most likely candidate to replace Aguero, has enormous shoes to fill.

With support from the likes of Nolito, who's enjoyed an impressive start to life in England, and a reinvigorated Raheem Sterling, the Nigerian teenager won't have to do it alone. Still, the Citizens are a substantially less frightening prospect without the services of their free-scoring Argentine. How Guardiola opts to replace him, whether simply with Iheanacho or through a more complex tactical shift, is the match's most intriguing question.

His Portuguese counterpart doesn't have a similar headache. Zlatan Ibrahimovic will lead the line, supported once again by maligned captain Wayne Rooney. Diminishing as his skills may be, Rooney is far better suited to playing off the eccentric Swede than he is to bogging things down in central midfield. While Mourinho hasn't yet demonstrated the gall to drop the skipper, he won't make the same mistake as England boss Sam Allardyce and let Rooney run wild wherever he pleases.

Mourinho's main decision is whether to opt for incumbent left winger Anthony Martial or give Marcus Rashford, the nation's most popular teenager, a chance from the opening whistle. The lanky 19-year-old scored a dramatic winner in United's last league match against Hull City, and followed that up with a hat trick for the Three Lions' U-21 side.

Not a bad problem to have.

Advantage: Manchester United