Sunday will be only the second time the Manchester derby has taken place on 20 March. The other encounter on this date was in 1993, when Niall Quinn’s goal was cancelled out by Eric Cantona to leave the two sides locked at 1-1.
Sergio Aguero has scored eight times against United. Only Joe Hayes and Francis Lee, with 10, have grabbed more goals for the Blues in all competitions against our near-neighbours.
City coach Brian Kidd (above) also has eight goals in the Manchester derby – five for the Reds, and three for the Blues. He scored twice when City beat United 3-1 at Maine Road in September 1977, and another in a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford later that season helped ensure that City held the crosstown bragging rights for that campaign.
Maine Road hosted the first competitive Manchester derby under floodlights in October 1956 when the two clubs vied for the Charity Shield.
City have won both home derbies under Manuel Pellegrini and have conceded just once.
Geovanni wrote a page in derby history by scoring the winner for City in August 2008, but it came in one of just two league starts the Brazilian made for the Blues – and he stayed on the bench for the return match, the famous 2-1 win at Old Trafford in February 2009.
United’s record home attendance of 83,260, against Arsenal in 1948, actually occurred at Maine Road. The two clubs were sharing City’s old haunt at the time because Old Trafford had suffered bomb damage in World War II.
How does it feel to score in the derby? Trevor Sinclair shows what it means, and in two home derby starts for City he never tasted defeat as well as grabbing a goal in each.
