Manchester City know what threat Manchester United will pose on Sunday | OneFootball

This weekend’s Manchester derby is a massive game in Manchester City’s season. Pep Guardiola’s will be desperate to pick up a victory for bragging rights and to snap themselves out of their recent funk. Sunday’s Premier League clash with Manchester United could be the ideal setting for the world champions to spark back to life. But they will have to contain the threat of Ruben Amorim’s side on the break. It’s a threat City know all too well and one that has been their Achilles heel of late.

Across Manchester City’s past ten games, their susceptibility to quick and decisive counterattacks has stood out. City’s opponents have been able to get behind the world champions high defensive line all too easily. The results of this weakness are clear to see. Manchester City have conceded 23 goals in their past ten games. A host of them have come against swift counterattacks. It’s something that Pep Guardiola’s side will have to contain at the Etihad on Sunday if they are to beat their arch-rivals.

Manchester United are built to get at Pep Guardiola’s side. With players such as Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Højlund, Joshua Zirkzee and others United have the pace and quality to get in behind City’s defence. They did this to devastating effect in last season’s FA Cup final where they upset Pep Guardiola’s side. Although they were managed by Erik ten Hag on that occasion, there is no reason to think that Ruben Amorim won’t employ a similar tactic.

READ MORE: The Manchester derby is the ideal setting for Manchester City to get things right.

I expect Manchester United to sit deep defensively. Ruben Amorim’s side will likely invite City on to them and await for errors from Pep Guardiola’s side to pounce upon. It appears an obvious tactical move for Ruben Amorim to make. How Manchester City deal with that threat with their depleted defence may well decide Sunday’s derby. If City can contain that threat it could set them on the path to victory. If they can’t it may make Sunday’s derby an uphill battle for Pep Guardiola’s side.

A familiar threat awaits Manchester City against Manchester United on Sunday. Whether or not they are equipped to deal with the danger posed by United’s pace on the break could well decide who wins the first Manchester derby of the season. It’s perhaps the most decisive subplot of Sunday’s clash.