EPL Spotlight: It's all about Manchester...

MATCH TO WATCH: Manchester United v Manchester City (Saturday, 7.30pm)

Fans might have lamented when a dodgy pitch denied Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola from crossing swords for the first time as bosses of Manchester's two biggest clubs.

But a Manchester derby in Beijing probably wouldn't have felt quite as right as this weekend's clash between the two juggernauts.

Nothing else really matters.

With countless sub-plots going on (Jose versus Pep, Zlatan versus Pep, Zlatan versus Stones and Sterling versus Bailly just to name a few...), it is perhaps much more fitting that the first act of Mourinho's United versus Guardiola's s City will unfold at the Theatre of Dreams in Manchester instead of a shoddy pitch in China.

The players are already buzzing.

United hotshot Zlatan Ibrahimovic aimed a cheeky salvo at new City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo over social media while City's contingent of Spanish footballers needled away at Juan Mata and David de Gea while they were together on national duty.

 

 

While both managers have played down their previous rivalry during their time in La Liga, they're not fooling anyone into thinking that they're friends.

 

 

Will both expensively-assembled teams go right at it from the start for an entertaining match? Or will it be a tight, tactical affair with both sides waiting to pounce on each others' mistakes?

With both teams on perfect records, something is going to have to give.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City)

While Marcus Rashford faces a fight to convince Mourinho that he should start for United in the derby, another youngster from across the great Manchester divide could be thrust into a key and starting role by Guardiola.

Thanks to Sergio Aguero's utterly stupid elbow on West Ham's Winston Reid, Kelechi Iheanacho is the most likely candidate to lead the line for Man City at Old Trafford.

The 19-year-old Nigerian striker is certainly a success story for the Citizens to boast about.

Despite his tender years, he boasts an impressive strike rate even though he has been used mostly as a sub.

 

 

But he is yet to start for City in a match of considerable magnitude and, if he starts, will have to sink or swim in the face of the very impressive Eric Bailly.

Of course, Iheanacho's confidence is sure to be sky high after he scored this belter for his country against Tanzania...

 

 

MANAGER TO WATCH: David Moyes (Sunderland v Everton, Monday, 3am)

Moving on from the Manchester derby to a manager who once witnessed it first-hand.

Unfortunately for David Moyes, his days as the doe-eyed boss of Man United will probably have little impact on the unenviable assignment he has at hand - keeping perennial relegation candidates Sunderland safe for another season.

The Scot probably did himself no favours by comparing his current situation with that of his former employers and next opponents Everton.

Since Moyes left Goodison Park, the Toffees, who are unbeaten thus far this season, have gone from strength to strength and are almost surely targeting a top six spot under Ronald Koeman.

With the Black Cats languishing with the league's bottom sides with one point from three games, getting one over his former employers at the Stadium of Light will do Moyes some good in his quest to turn Sunderland into Everton Mk II.

 

 

TEAM TO WATCH: Leicester City (Liverpool v Leicester City, Sunday, 12.30am)

While Claudio Ranieri has admitted that Leicester successfully defending their EPL title is unlikely, the Foxes clearly don't want to relinquish their hold on a lucrative Champions League spot.

To that end, the Italian dropped a cool £30 million ($54.2m) for Islam Slimani on transfer deadline day.

Not a huge sum in the current transfer market for sure, but the fee smashed Leicester's transfer record and serves as a clear statement of intent to their rivals.

At 28, the Algerian striker has been likened to fellow late bloomer and new teammate Jamie Vardy.

Having declared that Slimani is in contention to make his debut, it will be interesting to see where Ranieri fits his expensive new player into the mix.

In the cauldron of Anfield, no less.

 

 

UNDERDOGS TO WATCH: Stoke City (Stoke City v Tottenham Hotspur, Saturday, 10pm)

PHOTO: REUTERS

It's been far from a stellar start for Stoke City.

Usually more accustomed to sitting in mid-table and surviving comfortably each season, the Potters find themselves rock bottom at the foot of the Premier League table for the time being.

Moreover, they're definitely hurting as manager Mark Hughes opted to blame officials for giving what he deemed were soft penalties in their defeats to Manchester City and Everton.

With another tough match to come against Mauricio Pochettino's unbeaten Spurs side, the Welshman needs to stop feeling sorry for himself and get his men to respond with the right result.