Second-place Manchester United play hosts to leaders Manchester City in the latest episode of the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Sunday, in what could prove to be a crucial fixture in the Premier League title race.

The Red Devils come into the clash eight points behind their arch-rivals despite making an impressive start to the season, having won 11 of their 15 top flight matches.

The most recent of those came in a 3-1 success against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last Saturday, where they were perhaps fortunate and had goalkeeper David De Gea to thank for helping them get the three points in a match in which the hosts dominated proceedings.

The success against the Gunners was their fourth in a row in the Premier League, while Jose Mourinho’s men also ensured that they finished top of their Champions League group with a 2-1 win against CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.

United can’t really afford to miss the chance to move within five points of City and inflict on them their first defeat of the top flight campaign, even though we are yet to reach Christmas, given their rivals’ dominance.

Pep Guardiola’s side have won 14 and drawn one in the Premier League this term, scoring 46 goals in the process, and they remain on course to lift the famous trophy at the end of the season.

However, the Citizens have looked a little more shaky in recent weeks and as well as needing a last-gasp winner to beat Southampton 2-1 at the Etihad, they came from a goal down to win by the same scoreline against West Ham at home – before a largely second-string side was beaten 2-1 by Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League in midweek.

Back to Sunday though, both clubs certainly know that they have the players that can make the difference at Old Trafford, and they will be looking for those individuals to step up to the plate.

Here are four key on-pitch battles that will decide which way the result goes…

David De Gea vs Sergio Aguero

Given that Gabriel Jesus started against Shakhtar Donetsk and Aguero has started Manchester City’s last three Premier League matches, the Argentine looks set to get the nod to face United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

While he is without a goal in his last two top flight appearances, he has netted nine in 11 this season at a rate of one every 96 minutes, while he also scored a penalty against the Ukrainian outfit in midweek after coming on from the substitutes’ bench.

Guardiola may also look at Aguero’s record of eight goals in 11 appearances against United during his City career and feel that he is the striker that is most likely to get a goal against their arch-rivals.

He will face a tough task to find a way past De Gea though, who put in one of the great Premier League goalkeeping displays in the 3-1 win against Arsenal last weekend.

The Spaniard made 14 saves, and he will be determined to keep any Aguero efforts out of his net on Sunday, too.

Romelu Lukaku vs Vincent Kompany

Lukaku has come under scrutiny from some Manchester United fans in recent weeks because of his performances and goal drought, but his record of 13 goals in 21 matches in all competitions this season prove that he isn’t doing too bad.

The Belgium international has only scored once in his last eight Premier League games, but Jose Mourinho will hope that he will take confidence from the fact that he found the net against CSKA Moscow in midweek and finally produce in a big game against one the Red Devils’ top-six rivals.

Mourinho will surely instruct the 24-year-old to be a nuisance for the City defence on Sunday, especially in the air where they have struggled without the injured John Stones – as we witnessed with Angelo Ogbonna’s goal for West Ham last weekend.

Guardiola will hope that his captain Kompany is fit to start having been left on the substitutes’ bench against the Irons before missing the trip to the Ukraine with a slight niggle, as he will want the dominant defender in his backline for this crucial derby clash.

Ashley Young vs Raheem Sterling

Sterling may have been worried for his Manchester City place following the arrival of Bernardo Silva to an already strong frontline during the summer transfer window, but he has been a regular and is perhaps in the best form of his career right now.

The England international has scored 13 goals and provided a further four assists in 20 appearances in all competitions for the Citizens this term, including pivotal late winners against Huddersfield Town and Southampton in the Premier League, and Feyenoord in the Champions League, in recent weeks.

The man tasked with stopping the 23-year-old will be converted left wing-back Young, who has been one of United’s standout players this term.

The 32-year-old has shown just how useful he can be at both ends of the pitch, and he has two goals and two assists in his last four top flight appearances.

Mourinho will instruct Young to get forward when he can in order to force Sterling to defend, but he will also need to be well aware of his fellow England international’s attacking threat as well.

Marouane Fellaini vs David Silva

If Fellaini returns to the starting XI against City following his return from injury, there is no doubt that he will once again be a key player for them at both ends of the pitch.

The big Belgian may start alongside Ander Herrera and Nemanja Matic in the middle of the park if Mourinho’s recent teams are anything to go by, and he will be asked to keep the influential Silva quiet.

As well as being handy from a defensive point of view because of his aerial ability, Mourinho will also be aware of the damage he can do in the opposition penalty area with City struggling in the air from set-pieces and crosses in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Silva continues to make a huge impact for his team despite the fact that he is getting no younger and playing in a deeper role. As well as finding those key passes for the attacking players in front of him he is still chipping in with important goals too – like the winner against West Ham last Sunday.

West Ham have been linked with a number of big name players this summer, but one recent story particularly caught the eye and it appears Hammers fans are very excited about it.

According to reputable fansite Knees Up Mother Brown, West Ham are interested in signing Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes, as he is one of the many players attempting to force a move away from the Portuguese club.

The skilful 23-year-old had an impressive campaign in the Primeira Liga last season, scoring 11 goals and registering eight assists in 33 appearances.

Has this been the best World Cup ever? Give us your thoughts here and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

However, following a training ground attack on the Sporting players led by fans after they had failed to qualify for the Champions League, there appears to be a mass exodus of players and West Ham are hoping to profit from it.

He has reportedly requested to terminate his contract so the player valued at £27million on Transfermarkt could be available on a free transfer this summer.

We asked West Ham fans in our poll whether they would like to sign the Portuguese international and an overwhelming 96 per cent said they would.

It’s easy to see why as he’s one of the most talented players in the Portuguese league but they’ll have to work hard to see off reported interest from Chelsea and Liverpool.

Manchester United fans in the Transfer Tavern are pleased with their business in the transfer window thus far.

Jose Mourinho has splashed over £75m on new signings as he looks to compete with Manchester City for the Premier League title next season. The Portuguese bolstered his midfield with the £53m additional of Brazilian midfielder Fred. He also landed the signature of Porto youngster, Diogo Dalot, who can play both right and left back.

The signing of Dalot casts serious doubt over the future of Matteo Darmian. The Italian has failed to impress during his three seasons at Old Trafford and found first-team football hard to come by last year. Darmian made just 16 appearances and has been linked with a move back to the Serie A with Juventus.

To allow him to leave, Manchester United must demand they receive Mario Mandzukic in return. Valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, the 32-year-old is currently on international duty with Croatia and will look to book his place in the World Cup semi-final with a win over Russia. He was a key player for the Old Lady last season, making 43 appearances in all competitions, scoring ten goals and notching four assists.

Mourinho is desperate to add strength to his forward line, and Mandzukic fits the bill. He has experience in Serie A, La Liga and the Champions League and would be a fantastic option to have on the bench. He can play as the central striker or on the wing.

With Cristiano Ronaldo set to join Juventus, Mandzukic may be forced through the exit door. Juve’s loss can be United’s gain this summer.

Manchester United fans, thoughts?

Wolves fans can’t wait for the season to begin to see all their new signings in action.

After winning the Championship title last season, Wolves have wasted no time in strengthening their squad ahead of their first Premier League campaign since 2012. Nuno Espirito Santo has splashed £40m already in the transfer window to ensure his side avoid relegation next season.

Diogo Jota, Willy Bolly and Leo Bonatini all completed permanent moves to Molineux while Raul Jimenez and Rui Patricio both moved from Liga NOS. If Wolves are to survive, they need to continue their spending and buy a new playmaker. Signing a maestro to partner Ruben Neves in midfield would boost their hopes of avoiding the drop.

An ideal signing could be Napoli midfielder – Piotr Zielinski. Valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt, the Polish international was linked with Liverpool in the past, but the move failed to materialise. Instead, he signed for Napoli and was a key player during their title challenge last season.

The 24-year-old made 36 appearances in the Serie A, scoring four and assisting two. The former Udinese man is an excellent passer of the ball, completing 88% in the Serie A last season. His Polish team-mates recognise his immense talent, and Kamil Grosicki labelled him ‘the biggest talent in Poland’.

Following Maurizio Sarri’s departure to Chelsea, Zielinski could follow him through the exit door. Wolves should be first of the queue to bring him to England.

Wolves fans, thoughts?

According to Bleacher Report, Brazilian attacker Richarlison is heading for a medical with Everton ahead of a £40m move from Watford.

What’s the story?

Richarlison joined Watford from Fluminense in last summer’s transfer window, with the Hornets paying £11m to secure the signature of the South American.

The former Brazil Under-20 international scored five times and registered five assists in his 38 Premier League matches during the 2017-18 campaign.

Speculation linking the attacker with a move away from Vicarage Road has been present since the end of last season, with Manchester United amongst the clubs to be credited with an interest.

However, according to Bleacher Report, Richarlison is nearing a move to Everton, who will pay £40m for his services.

The deal will see Richarlison join up with new Toffees boss Marco Silva once again, with Silva bringing the attacker to the Premier League last summer.

Is it good business for Everton?

It has been a frustrating transfer window for Everton thus far, but Silva insisted last weekend that new players would arrive ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.

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The Toffees have been in need of a left-sided forward for some time, and Richarlison now has the stage to prove that he can be a genuine star in the Premier League.

For £40m, Watford will be pleased, and Everton will also feel that they have signed a player capable of scoring 15-20 league goals a season for a relatively good price.

It will be very interesting to see whether the 21-year-old hits the ground running at his new club, but there is no doubting that he is a wonderful talent.

The 5ft 10in ace will now be looking to build on his early promise in English football to fire Everton to a top-six finish in the Premier League next term.

The Celtic fans are once more optimistic for the season ahead under Brendan Rodgers after the former Liverpool boss has done so well ever since arriving at Celtic Park. 

Having completed the double treble in the past two seasons, Brendan Rodgers will be keen to improve his squad further so that and European success can both be possible ahead of the new campaign. Celtic have already completed the permanent signing of Odsonne Edouard but having lost vital attacker Stuart Armstrong, they need to improve their forward options further, maybe with the capture of Swansea’s Andre Ayew.

The want-away Ghanian re-joined Swansea from West Ham in January but after failing to score or keep the Swans in the Premier League, Ayew may look for an alternative adventure instead. The 28-year-old began life in the Premier League as a clinical finisher but when moving to the Hammers, 12 goals from his debut season dropped dramatically down to 6 as he struggled for game-time.

However, Ayew is a hard-working forward that can play on either wing, down the middle supporting the striker or being the main striker. His versatility to play in an array of positions has helped him become a useful player in the Premier League and someone that would be a real statement of intent should Celtic pursue him.

The 28-year-old has been captain of Swansea and Ghana at times, showing not only can he score goals but he likes to lead his team and set an example to fellow colleagues. It would be a tough ask for Celtic to sign him but if they did, it would be an almighty statement of intent as they intend to make movements in Europe.

Thoughts… Let us know!

This summer has seen some cracking pre-season action so far. Tottenham put four goals past Roma, Liverpool had some late drama when they beat Man City through a 94th-minute penalty and Arsenal youngster Emile Smith-Rowe scored a worldie against Atletico. However, the one that all of the Liverpool fans have been waiting for is against Manchester United tomorrow evening.

Manchester United vs Liverpool is always a huge fixture for both clubs, be it in the Premier League, European competition or a pre-season ‘friendly’ the Reds are always excited to see their side take on the Old Trafford faithful and tomorrow night will be no different. Liverpool have already played both Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City in America this summer, beating City but losing to Jurgen Klopp’s former club.

They’ll now ben keen on ending their pre-season tour of America with a win against their most bitter rivals. It’s been a long time since the Reds have beaten United, with the last time they came out on top over 90 minutes being back in March 2016 in the Europa League. Since then they’ve met five times, drawing four of those and losing one. If the Reds do beat United, it won’t mean much more than pride, but that’s often all the Liverpudlians are bothered about when they face their Mancunian rivals.

You can read the Reds’ verdict on their United friendly here:

As you can see, the fans are buzzing for the United friendly and, as usual, it probably won’t be that friendly.

Tottenham are set to play Newcastle in just ten days time and with a lot of Spurs’ World Cup stars looking set to miss that match the stage is set for some of Mauricio Pochettino’s youngsters to step up at St James Park. Kyle Walker-Peters is one of those and after a superb pre-season in America ended him with claiming the man of the match award against Milan, not many are doubting him.

Tottenham opened their Premier League campaign with a trip to Newcastle last season and in that match, young Kyle Walker-Peters was given the man of the match award for his heroic display in the Lillywhites’ 2-0 win at St James Park. This year, the 21-year-old full-back could be set to start in that fixture again as both Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose could miss the game following their extended holiday after the World Cup.

Plenty of young Tottenham stars have impressed in the US. Oliver Skipp, Luke Amos, Georges-Kevin N’Koudou, Anthony Georgiou and Walker-peters can all expect to be given some sort of first-team football in the coming season after impressing in pre-season, even if it’s just in the Carabao Cup. A lot of Tottenham fans are yet to see a bad performance from Walker-Peters and after he broke through last season, scoring his first goal for the club in the FA Cup, he’ll be hoping to be more of a regular this time around.

You can read the Lillywhites’ verdict on Walker-Peters here:

The Spurs fans are keen to see more of their full-back and will be backing him to impress against Newcastle in ten days time.

Rangers have announced the signing of Borna Barisic from NK Osijek on a four-year deal for a reported fee of £2.2million according to BBC Sport.

Barisic came to Rangers’ attention after impressive performances in both legs of their Europa League qualifying tie against Osijek in which the Gers ran out eventual victors.

The versatile player is comfortable playing at left-back and left-midfield and was a constant menace down the Rangers’ right flank throughout the game.

Barisic is a Croatian international with three caps to his name and spoke of his desire to join compatriot Nikola Katic in defence at Rangers.

He is the latest arrival in a major overhaul this summer, commandeered by new manager Steven Gerrard who has brought in 11 new faces at the Ibrox.

Rangers fans have been reacting to the latest signing at the club and it’s clear they’re expecting to see more solid performances from the left-back.

When Steven Gerrard became Rangers manager, pressure was heaped on the Liverpool legend’s shoulders.

It is the first high-profile role that the 38-year-old has taken since moving into coaching.

Gerrard learned the ropes as Under-18s boss at Anfield, and after 15 months in the job, the former midfielder decided to take on the Scottish giants.

So far, everything is running smoothly for the ex-Liverpool captain as the Gers are unbeaten in eight matches in all competitions.

On Thursday night, Rangers reached the playoffs of the Europa League thanks to a goalless draw with Maribor in the third qualifying round.

In stoppage time, goalkeeper Allan McGregor made a crucial penalty save to deny Marcos Tavares from the spot.

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After the final whistle, Gerrard delivered his post-match thoughts to the media, and he had plenty of praise for his players.

Amid the euphoria of the result, some fans hailed their manager, claiming that he has restored hope among the club’s faithful.