Vincent Kompany v Robin van Persie

The Premier League Player of the Season in 2012, Vincent Kompany has had a less satisfactory time of late, only making 16 league appearances so far this campaign, largely on account of a recurring knee injury.

City have often struggled without the Belgian international in the side, and they’ll undoubtedly be relieved to have him available for this match.

Although despite the sporadic absences of their captain, they still comfortably hold the best defensive record of all the teams in the Premier League, with just 26 goals conceded.

Nevertheless, in the reverse fixture between themselves and United at the Etihad, their back four frequently looked uncomfortable, with Kompany having to go off through injury during the early stages of the contest.
And while the man who got the winner that day, Robin van Persie, may no longer be in such sublime form as he was then, big players often come good in big games, and there is no reason to believe the United striker won’t do likewise tonight.

Having disappointed in his substitute appearance during their recent cup tie with Chelsea, while also underperforming in the club’s Champions League encounters with Real Madrid, he is due a special performance.

Indeed, he has gone nine matches in total without scoring, despite a significant number of shots at goal (24), meaning he’ll surely be more keen than ever to recapture his early-season form this evening, given the significance of the occasion.

Yaya Toure v Michael Carrick

(Yaya Toure has struggled to recapture his stunning form from last season – Clint Hughes/AP/Press Association Images)

Arguably City’s most influential player, Roberto Mancini’s side invariably look a different team without the imperious Yaya Toure.

It was no coincidence, for instance, that Toure was missing during their recent 2-0 loss to Everton, while his extended absence in January as he represented his country during the African Nations Cup was a key reason for his club’s subsequent disappointing form.

At his energetic best, the central midfielder can be seen making relentless surging runs into the opposition box, and his consistently excellent displays last year earned him comparisons to some of the most venerated midfielders of the Premier League era, such as Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira.
United, therefore, will have to keep an eye on Toure in particular tonight, with Michael Carrick the most likely player to be designated with the responsibility of combating his threat.

The England international has probably enjoyed his best-ever season with United this year – not just defensively, but also in a creative sense, often helping to set up goals thanks usually to his impeccable passing range.

So while most would assume it’ll be Carrick marking Toure, the situation could be reversed more often than not, if United play with the type of confidence they’ve usually displayed at Old Trafford this season.

Carlos Tevez v David de Gea

According to Opta, United have only allowed one shot on target in their last three Premier League games, so whether Tevez even gets to test De Gea remains to be seen.

Moreover, Roberto Mancini, in the past, has been reluctant to trust the controversial Argentinian striker by playing him in the big games – he was conspicuously and perhaps tellingly benched for many of their Champions League matches this year.

However, given that Tevez has seven goals in his last seven appearances, it would still be a considerable surprise if the City boss didn’t opt to play him from the start this time around.

City aren’t the only team, however, whose starting XI is far from certain, as Alex Ferguson’s lineups have been anything but predictable since the beginning of the season, with Wayne Rooney’s absence from their pivotal Champions League tie with Real Madrid being a case in point.
One of the few relatively regular starters has been David de Gea, which is somewhat ironic, given how he has been accused of lacking consistency in the past.

De Gea has played in 21 of United’s 30 league games thus far this season – a fairly impressive feat compared with other important members of United’s backline such as Nemanja Vidić (15/30), Chris Smalling (15/30) and Jonny Evans (18/30).

And a considerable amount of responsibility is likely to fall on the goalkeeper’s shoulder once more, particularly with Evans and Vidic both doubts for the game.

While he still hasn’t had to work too hard this year, owing to United’s increasingly impressive defence, expect Tevez to test him more so than most opposition strikers who come to Old Trafford.