Resurgent Red Devils seek revenge in City derby

Manchester United were outclassed by Manchester City in the last Manchester derby but the mood could not be more different as they prepare to host their city rivals in the Premier League on Saturday in the middle of a remarkable run of form.

Since being thrashed 6-3 by City on October 2, United have won 15 out of 18 matches in all competitions while losing only once, while they are on a run of eight consecutive victories.

Their resurgence has been led by in-form striker Marcus Rashford, who has scored seven goals in his last six matches, and midfielder Casemiro.

The Brazilian was surprisingly left out of the line-up for the last derby but has started all 10 of United's league games since then and has added some much-needed stability, as well as aggression, to Erik ten Hag's midfield.

He has made more tackles than any player in the league's top six this season, according to statistics website FBref.com, and has contributed three assists in two goals despite being the team's most defensive midfielder.

Another key influence in United's turnaround is coach Erik ten Hag, who has been firm with players on team discipline, dropping Rashford to the bench when he turned up late to a team meeting and banishing the now departed Cristiano Ronaldo from the squad for leaving a match early.

"Nobody is bigger than the team, everybody has to contribute to the team. That's not about 11 players but the whole squad. It's the team around the team," Ten Hag told radio station Talksport this week.

"Everyone has one aim and they're contributing to that and working hard for that with togetherness. When we keep this going, we can achieve a lot."

Ten Hag has now won 20 of his first 27 competitive matches in charge of the Red Devils, the fewest games taken to reach this landmark by any manager in the club's history. The Dutchman appears to have restored belief at the Theatre of Dreams having overseen vast improvement in fortunes, with domestic cup glory and a top-four place in the Premier League now firmly in their sights this season.

City have rarely reached the heights of that sparkling performance in October and are in stuttering form ahead of the derby, dropping points twice in their last four league matches while they slumped to a surprise 2-0 defeat at Southampton in the League Cup on Wednesday.

Coach Pep Guardiola was scathing of his team after the result, declaring: "I know my players well and today was not even close to what we are."

The reigning top-flight champions have seen their impeccably high standards slip slightly in recent months, dropping eight points from as many league matches, while they have also failed to score in four of their last seven away games across all competitions.

However, Guardiola's side will relish a derby-day trip to Man United having won nine of their last 14 visits to Old Trafford in all tournaments since and including their iconic 6-1 league triumph in October 2011.

A perfect way for City to rebuild their momentum ahead of a challenging fixture schedule – including two games each against Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal – would be to secure a record 19th Premier League victory over the Red Devils this weekend, completing a record sixth top-flight double over their bitter rivals in the process.

City could also break their own club record for the most goals scored against United in a single campaign (eight goals in 1954-55) if they find the net at least three times on Saturday.