Skip to content

Ed Chamberlin looks forward to the Manchester derby and Arsenal v Stoke

Image: Manuel Pellegrini and David Moyes: facing each other for the first time

It's so early in the season yet the big games keep on coming. The Manchester derby takes centre stage on Super Sunday this weekend, a fixture with all the ingredients for a brilliant spectacle.

Derby day
After the game at Arsenal all eyes will be on the Etihad for the 166th Manchester derby. It's been an autumn of debuts for David Moyes but this time it's also the first taste of this derby for his opposite number Manuel Pellegrini. It will be strange not having Sir Alex Ferguson involved on the touchline as this is the first derby since October 1986 that Sir Alex has not been Manchester United manager. That day Ron Atkinson's side drew 1-1 against Jimmy Frizzel's City at Maine Road - Frank Stapleton opened the scoring before Mick McCarthy equalised. Atkinson lasted just three more games before being sacked. What a welcome sight it must have been for City fans this week to see Vincent Kompany leading the team out at Viktoria Plzen. He's such an important figure at the club and City have been a noticeably better side with him in it, winning 58% of those Premier League games compared to 47% without him. An equally pleasing sight for United fans was Wayne Rooney scoring twice in in Tuesday's Champions League win to become only the fourth player to score 200 goals for Man Utd - Sir Bobby Charlton (249), Denis Law (237) and Jack Rowley (211) are the others. Rooney's 200th came in his 406th appearance - a strike rate of nearly a goal every two games goals. Impressive. The away side won both games last season. In fact the visitors have won five of the last six meetings in all competitions including the 2011 Community Shield when United won 3-2 and were allocated the 'away' dressing room. At this early stage of the season both teams, and particularly their managers, will be desperate not to lose. It will be intriguing, intense and tight and is such a tough game to call. We start at 12.30pm on Sky Sports 1. Hope you can join us.

Around Sky