Manchester derby: 3 reasons United will defeat City

The Manchester Derby is upon us at last. Two of the Premier League's biggest clubs prepare to do battle at Old Trafford, with Manchester United looking to leapfrog Manchester City and claim top spot in the standings.

Manchester City has sat pretty on its perch looking down at the rest of the Premier League all season long, and that's quite enough for United, who will play hosts only on the grounds and certainly not in spirit. Nothing less than all three points will be good enough for the Red Devils.

Sunday's warpath will be paved in the tears of Manchester City's boo-boys, as Manchester United puts on its first season-defining performance of the 2015-16 campaign.

Here are three reasons United will defeat City:

Momentum will swing United's way

Supporters of Manchester City will surely point to earlier results this season as an indicator both of form and prowess and that argument certainly has its merits: the Citizens have absolutely dominated in the early goings, defeating the likes of Chelsea, Sunderland, Newcastle, and Bournemouth by huge margins.

But those teams aren't exactly a strong barometer by which to measure oneself against, and that's keeping in mind that Chelsea has been absolutely torrid this season. Against quality opposition, Manchester City has struggled; a 2-1 loss to Juventus in the Champions League was but the start of what looks like a bit of defensive vulnerability against quality opposition.

Add to that Tottenham's 4-1 dismantling of City at White Hart Lane and suddenly, Manchester City's previous results don't look quite as impressive.

The past will haunt Manchester City

If we're looking at the past as indications of Sunday's result, ignoring last year's 4-2 spanking at Old Trafford simply isn't possible. Manchester United absolutely ripped City apart in April of last season, with Ashley Young, Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata, and Chris Smalling finding the back of the net.

Manchester United also holds the edge in this historical derby, spanning 169 meetings over the course of 134 years; in league encounters, the Red Devils have won 60 times to City's 43 and the two have drawn 49 times. Manchester United is 70-49-50 all-time in W-L-D.

Supporters of City will point out that, of the last 10 meetings, City has won six to United's three, with one draw back in 2010. It's a pretty strong argument. But those wins aren't on the mind of City goalkeeper Joe Hart, who called his side's 4-2 loss "one of my worst in a Man City shirt, definitely."

Clearly, Hart is traumatized, and seeing Mata streaking at him will surely bring up those repressed memories.

History is on Manchester United's side. And history is doomed to repeat itself, which helps the Red Devils, statistically. So there's that.

Anthony Martial in form, Sergio Aguero out entirely

Lastly, and most importantly, the two teams' top strikers are dealing with very, very different fates heading into this. Manchester United newcomer Anthony Martial is, simply put, on fire.

Conversely, Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is on ice. Literally. He's icing his hamstring, out of commission and unavailable for selection.

Martial has been scoring freely since joining his new side out of Monaco; he's already notched five goals in nine appearances, after all. With Martial in form and Aguero unavailable, it's not so much a question of which team will score but more a question of how many will Martial score on the day and how can Manchester City even find the back of the net if Wilfried Bony is starting.