Manchester derby: Biggest game for Man City – and Man Utd have a chance, says Paul Merson | Football News

Sunday's Manchester derby, live on Sky Sports, is “Manchester City's biggest game”, says Paul Merson, but he believes Manchester United have a chance of causing an upset.

Pep Guardiola's side have won just one game in their last 10 in all competitions. They lost to Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday nightleaving them with a lot of work to do to even finish in the top 24 in the league standings.

It comes before a big game on Super Sunday and Man City welcome Ruben Amorim's Man Utd team to Eithad. Former Portuguese team, Sporting Lisbon, he beat City 4-1 just last month before leaving for Old Trafford.

United, however, have lost their last two Premier League games Arsenal and Nottingham Forest because Amorim is looking to turn the club's fortunes around.

Talking to Te Football Showcase, Sky Sports pundit Merson gave his thoughts ahead of the big game…

'This is Man City's biggest game – and Utd have a chance!'

Over the past few years, this has not been Man City's biggest game. No disrespect to Man Utd, but when they played Arsenal or Liverpool, those were their biggest games.

But this weekend, it's their biggest football game. This is a big cup final.

Man Utd kept Arsenal very quiet at the Emirates a few weeks ago. If they can do that this weekend, I think they have a chance. I would go (Marcus) Rashford, Amad (Diallo) and (Alejandro) Garnacho up front and play speed, skill and guile.

There isn't much strength between these three, but they have pace in attack to cause Man City big problems. If it goes like that, I can see Man City having a tough day.

But I will never go against Man City, even on this trip. They have too many good players.

'Squad review is a problem, but it's not about age'

It is difficult now. When Man City really started to get high, each player was between £60m and £70m. It used to be £50m or £60m player supporting player, but that can't happen now with financial fair play.

So, for me, it's going to be a problem. I don't buy into the older players (as a reason for a dip in form), I think it's confidence more than anything. Just six months earlier, teams were frustrated with passing and shifting.

The morale is low and it is difficult to play like Man City do. Pep Guardiola has probably never run like this since he started playing football at the age of six. This is really unusual territory for him and he needs to deal with it.

Against Crystal Palace, he will bring on (Jeremy) Doku and (Jack) Grealish in the 80th minute when (Matheus) Nunes and Savinho were doing nothing. He could have made those substitutions at half time and that worries me.

When you struggle, you panic and make bad decisions both on the field and in the dugout. We are seeing bad decisions and bad choices in the dugout right now. I'm sorry Pep.

'Man City have to take it one game at a time'

The factor Rodri definitely takes the tax, he weaves it all together. If you were reading a book on holiday and they've won the league so many times, won the Champions League, won the treble, going for fourth.

Then you turn the page and the next season, one game in 10 and you lose seven, you would throw the book into the sea and say 'how is that going to happen?'. It's just mind blowing. I never thought I would see this happen.

But I liked what he (Pep Guardiola) said (after the defeat against Juventus) – he's gone, move on to the next game now and they have to go on a run. They beat Forest and you'd think he'd start and he hasn't.

I live my life one day at a time and they have to live their game at a time. They have to start with the Manchester derby, win that and move on to the next one.

It's hard to forget about the games that just left, though, because they're the ones that affect your confidence. Because you don't win every week, your confidence goes.

They need (Mateo) Kovacic back now. It's not the solution but at least it gives you a bit more in midfield. At the moment, it is difficult for them to win the ball back and that is their problem as well.

It's good to have good players in there but, in midfield, you have to win the ball back. That is a real need.

Champions League and Premier League hopefuls

If they get eliminated in the Champions League, I'm not swimming in the sea to get that book back. I can't see that happening.

I see them beating PSG and the big advantage is that it is in January. If that is played next week, it will be a little different. All the games will be over Christmas and some players back from injury.

I don't see them as undeserving and you'd be lucky to get Man City over two legs too. You wouldn't expect to play Man City in that group (the play-offs), you would expect them to be in the top eight.

I've always said that Man City are a team that turn it around in the second half of the season, they win 13 or 14 games on the trot and they've done that a few times.

I don't see that happening this year. I watched them against Crystal Palace and usually if they draw that game, the goalkeeper is the best player on the pitch and Crystal Palace have made their luck and they hung on.

It wasn't. They were trying to Man City and trying to get that goal. I know they (Man City) had 10 men for the last stretch, but that was just covering the cracks. Teams are trying to Man City at the moment.

'Amorim finds his trusted players'

I'm not sure Amorim is looking for his best XI yet, I think he's just trying to see who he can rely on.

By the end of the season, he needs to know who is going to be there, who is not going to be there and who he wants to bring in. Otherwise, Man Utd is going to be a runner too and we don't want that.

Man Utd is one of the biggest clubs in the world and that is what he is trying to do. I don't think he's worried about his best team at the moment, he's just trying to see who's going to be there and who's not because there are players who have been there for a while and don't did nothing

Rashford: Who would buy him with his wages?

I don't know who is going to buy him (Marcus Rashford). It is a problem. Someone said that PSG will buy him, but if I were PSG, I would think that Man Utd are fighting like mad, and they want one of their best players and biggest threats sell' and that tells you something.

If they are trying to get rid of him, his salary carries so much, it is unreal. If you're PSG or someone, why aren't you trying to replace the player Man Utd is trying to get?

I don't see how they are going to get rid of him with that salary, and they won't get £60m, £70m, £80m for him.