3 key battles that will decide the Manchester derby

#2 Anthony Martial v Kyle Walker

Martial celebrating his goal against Everton

Another match-up which will play a huge role in the outcome of the Manchester derby is Anthony Martial against Kyle Walker.

Walker has been extremely solid for City since his arrival for a big money fee in the summer of 2017. Guardiola’s system is reliant on the full-backs playing high up the pitch and delivering dangerous crosses, and Walker has done that superbly ever since he set foot on the pitch at the Etihad.

And then there’s Martial, who has had it quite tough at United since he arrived in 2015. He burst onto the scene scoring on his debut and he looked set to light the Premier League up, and he did in his first season at the club. But ever since, he has looked a shadow of the player he once was.

That was until recently. The Frenchman is now firing goals in for United, in what seems like a return to the old Martial, the one that Manchester United signed in the first place. He has five goals in eight Premier League appearances this season and is now full of confidence.

This means Walker has a job on his hands to keep the Frenchman quiet on Sunday, and if Martial is to put in a performance anything like he has done lately, he will certainly make it a difficult afternoon for the English full-back. But, it must be mentioned that Martial’s tracking back abilities are quite limited. If at any time he fails to go with Walker, City could most definitely expose United’s left-hand side.