Event of the Day: Manchester United v Manchester City
Our event of the day is the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford in Manchester. The 175th Manchester derby is one of the most important games of the Premiership season, as second-placed United will try to close the gap on runaway leaders City, who are currently eight points clear. Manchester United have won their last four league matches, but also finished the group stage of the Champions League in first place after a 2-1 home win against CSKA Moscow on Tuesday. Manchester City ended their amazing run of 20 straight victories when they were beaten 2-1 by Shakhtar in Donetsk, on Wednesday. If they win today, City will equalise Arsenal’s record from 2002 of 14 successive wins in Premier League.
United will be without star player Paul Pogba who is suspended following a red card in United’s big 3-1 win away to Arsenal last Saturday. David de Gea, regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, was brilliant in that game in London with 14 saves. He will be difficult to beat even for the powerful City attack – there’s danger coming from all sides: Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva lead the league with eight assists each, while upfront there are deadly front men Sergio Agüero, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus who have scored nine, nine and eight goals respectively. United have a perfect home record this season, having won all 11 matches in all competitions, and have equaled club record of 40 home games without defeat, but the last one came against City in September 2016. A thrilling game is anticipated at Old Trafford this afternoon.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the UK Championship at the Barbican Centre in York. The snooker tournament has come to the final where Ronnie O’Sullivan will take on Shaun Murphy. There are big games in the NFL Week 14 with the Jacksonville Jaguars taking on the Seattle Seahawks at the EverBank Field in Jacksonville and the Los Angeles Rams hosting the Philadelphia Eagles at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. In the NBA, the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics face off at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. There are four fixtures in the NHL, including the San Jose Sharks versus the Minnesota Wild at the SAP Center in San Jose.
In cricket, it’s the second day of the second Test match between New Zealand and the West Indies at Seddon Park in Hamilton; whilst the tour match between the Cricket Australia XI and England, part of England Tour of Australia, will finish at Richardson Park in Perth. Today it is the first ODI of the Sri Lanka Tour of India, with India facing Sri Lanka at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. In golf, it’s day 4 of the Joburg Open at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club in Johannesburg, and day 3 of the PGA Tour’s QBE Shootout at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Fixture
Photos by Premier League