Make sure you’re fully armed with all of the facts, figures and trivia going into this meeting between first and second in the Barclays Premier League.
Home comforts: Man City’s current run of 37 unbeaten top-flight home games matches Man Utd’s best top-flight run (April 1966-Jan 1968).
Hot heads: Unusually for a derby, City have only had one player sent off in this fixture in the Premier League era. The player in question was Bernardo Corradi who was sent off in the dying embers of the 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford in December 2006. United have had five men dismissed.
Straight in: Since 2002, City have never dropped a Premier League point against Manchester United in a game in which they have scored the opening goal. (P7, W7, D0, L0)
Narrow margins: there have been just five goals scored in the last six meetings between City and United at the Etihad Stadium and no more than one in any of those games.
Instant impact: Edin Dzeko has scored five goals from the bench this season, only one short of the record for a single Premier League season (held by Tore Andre Flo and Jermaine Defoe).
Spotters badge: City have never scored a Premier League penalty against Manchester United, although Darius Vassell has missed one at the City of Manchester Stadium on 5 May 2007.
Prediction fodder: The most common scoreline in the Premier League in matches between the two sides is 1-0 occurring seven times. 1-1 is the joint-second most common scoreline between the pair, occurring 4 times. A 3-1 scoreline has also occurred on four occasions.
Blue Christmas: December is historically the Blues’ most goal-laden month in the calendar - at both ends. They have scored a whopping 120 goals but have also conceded 116. It is also the team’s most successful month for points gained in the Premier League with City winning 26, drawing 23 and losing 33 of 82 games in the final calendar month.
Middle Man: Carlos Tevez has scored all four penalties he’s hit down the middle of the goal in the Premier League.
Unwelcome precedent: City have lost all 3 of the previous Premier League derbies to have taken place in December although they have all been played at Old Trafford.
For more chin-stroking tidbits ahead of Sunday’s game, make sure you follow @OptaCity on Twitter.
Check out more fascinating facts and figures with part II of our Manchester derby stat pack.
