Title Race, Crossovers & Goals - What To Expect From Manchester Derby

Manchester City v Manchester United

Venue: Etihad Stadium Date: Saturday, 15 November Kick-off: 13:30 GMT

Coverage: Watch unrecorded connected BBC One and BBC iPlayer; commentary connected BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds; unrecorded matter commentary connected BBC Sport website & app

Manchester is gearing up for different high-stakes derby successful nan Women's Super League.

Last season's 4 meetings crossed 3 home competitions tilted successful Manchester United's favour, but City are revitalised nether caller caput coach Andree Jeglertz and person a constituent to beryllium aft a disappointing 2024-25.

Can United thief sound City disconnected their perch astatine nan apical of nan table? Or will City onshore a lethal rustle to United's title aspirations?

BBC Sport looks astatine immoderate of nan cardinal storylines for this weekend's match.

It whitethorn beryllium early successful nan play but - pinch a big of teams cervix and cervix astatine nan apical of nan array - dropping points now could still beryllium crucial.

City leapfrogged Chelsea astatine nan acme past weekend, narrowly beating Everton aft nan six-time defending champions drew 1-1 pinch Arsenal.

Asked astir City's spot astatine nan apical of nan table, Jeglertz praised his squad but said they are good alert location is still a ample chunk of nan play remaining.

"There is rather agelong [to go], but astatine nan aforesaid clip we show that erstwhile we are connected nan highest peak, we decidedly are a very, very bully shot team," he said.

United, meanwhile, grounded to capitalise connected Chelsea's stalemate arsenic Marc Skinner's broadside fell to their first conclusion of nan play - a 1-0 location nonaccomplishment to Aston Villa.

A 2nd consecutive convention conclusion is apt to beryllium highly damaging to nan Red Devils' title hopes, fixed it would mean they already way City by 7 points.

With their spot astatine nan apical of nan array astatine stake, City would do good to retrieve nan lessons from past season.

They grounded to triumph a azygous crippled against teams that vanished supra them, and rivals United took advantage to hit them to 3rd - and declare nan last Champions League spot by a point.

All eyes are apt to beryllium connected nan 2 players who crossed nan city's disagreement during nan transportation window, pinch Grace Clinton moving from United to City, while Jess Park went nan different way.

The England duo person had mixed fortunes astatine their caller clubs. While Park has flourished, Clinton's commencement to life astatine City has been hampered by injury.

Park played successful each but 1 of City's WSL games past season, but struggled to make a awesome impact.

But aft 8 matches for United she is already a cardinal subordinate for Skinner's broadside and has matched her extremity involvements (six) from past season, pinch 4 goals and 2 assists.

Asked if Park's caller performances made him wish City still had a subordinate for illustration her, Jeglertz replied: "I'm not successful a emotion aliases successful a authorities wherever I deliberation 'oh, we should person kept her'. No, that was not nan case.

"I'm really happy for Jess Park. She needed a caller environment, and she's successful an situation now wherever she [can] show her champion qualities."

Skinner responded to Jeglertz's comments by saying: "I'm really buzzing he didn't want [to support Park] because, for us, we person a small superstar."

Clinton, meanwhile, has made conscionable 2 starts for City. She arrived carrying a flimsy niggle, and a insignificant wounded that kept her retired of October's England campy has slowed her progress.

But Jeglertz is affirmative nan midfielder will get backmost to her best.

"The subordinate that goes done injuries and a small spot of setbacks and truthful on, that makes them stronger," Jeglertz said.

"It will beryllium nan aforesaid for Grace erstwhile she, successful a mates of months, has gone done this play of changing nine and everything.

"She's going to beryllium a overmuch amended shot subordinate and besides beryllium much resilient to setbacks because she has been there.

"She's a awesome player. She will beryllium very important for nan future."

If nan commencement of nan play is thing to spell by, location should beryllium goals aplenty connected Saturday arsenic City and United are nan apical scoring sides successful nan convention truthful far, pinch 20 and 19 goals respectively.

They besides person nan league's starring goalscorers successful Khadija Shaw and Melvine Malard, who person some recovered nan backmost of nan nett 5 times.

Jamaica striker Shaw has benefited from Jeglertz's nonstop attack to attacking and scored City's victor against Everton connected Sunday.

Malard has already equalled her champion WSL tally, while nan France guardant netted a stunning extremity successful United's Champions League triumph complete Paris St-Germain astatine Old Trafford connected Wednesday.

"Melvine is really astatine apical of nan game. So if I was a defender, I really wouldn't [want to] beryllium playing against her correct now," Skinner said connected Friday.

"She's fluid, she's fluent, I've already spoken astir her characteristic and really it's very Manchester United."

With home men's shot breaking up for an world window, plentifulness of clubs are utilizing their main stadiums for WSL matches this weekend.

City will beryllium keen to build connected nan momentum of United's mid-week Champions League game, which saw 14,667 fans wrong Old Trafford.

United person already sold retired their travelling allocation of much than 3,000 tickets.

The past Manchester derby astatine nan Etihad saw 22,497 fans watch connected arsenic Ella Toone starred successful a thrilling 4-2 triumph for United.

On Thursday, WSL Football unveiled "world-first creation guidelines" for updating existing stadiums - aliases building caller ones - truthful they amended cater for women, astatine a clip erstwhile nan women's crippled is growing.