Both Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola go into Wednesday's Manchester Derby in the EFL Cup looking for a result that can snap their sides out of their recent run of bad form.
Guardiola's City side have not won in five matches in all competitions, while Mourinho will be looking for a reaction from his United side after their humiliating 4-0 defeat on his return to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Classic Encounter: Manchester United 3-1 Manchester City; 25th January 2010
The last time these sides met in the League Cup was when City were still noisy neighbours, on the hunt for their first major trophy of their nouveauriche era in the semi finals of the 2010 edition of the competition.
Roberto Mancini's men won the first leg 1-0, but the return tie at Old Trafford was poised for extra time, with United ahead 2-1, when Wayne Rooney, enjoying the best season of his career, headed home in stoppage time to break City hearts.
Pandemonium ensued at the Theatre of Dreams and United went on to win the competition, defeating Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa in the Wembley final.
Key Battles
Zlatan Ibrahimovic v Vincent Kompany
The league meeting between the two sides sparked Zlatan Ibrahimovic's recent run of awful form. The former PSG man, usually so cocksure, looks shorn of confidence and frustrated at the team's lack of cohesion.
Provided he is fit, City captain Vincent Kompany will be the man charged with shackling the Swede, and will relish a physical battle with one of the world's most physical frontmen.
United's midfield vs Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva
In the aforementioned Premier League match, in which City utterly outplayed United and won 2-1,Kevin De Bruyne was the game's outstanding player. The Red Devils simply had no-one who could live with the Belgian, let go by Mourinho when he was in charge at Chelsea.
If De Bruyne is in similar form on Wednesday, ably assisted by David Silva, it will be a long evening forUnited, who don't look to possess anyone who can dictate a game in the same way, despite having spent millions and millions on their engine room.
Team News
Eric Bailly was stretchered off at Stamford Bridge and is ruled out of Wednesday's game, but Mourinho's defensive resources are boosted by the return of Luke Shaw.
Daley Blind's ability to shuffle across to centre-back should be utilised. Wayne Rooney missed the Chelsea game with a niggle and it remains to be seen if he is fit to feature.
Fitness doubts persist over City right-backs Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta, but that is less of an issue if Pep Guardiola persists with his three-man defensive strategy of recent weeks. Fabien Delph is the former Barcelona manager's only other injury concern, but would have been unlikely to feature anyway.
Predicted Lineups
Manchester United (4-3-3); De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Blind, Shaw; Carrick, Herrera, Pogba; Lingard, Ibrahimovic, Rashford
Manchester City (3-4-2-1); Bravo; Stones, Kompany, Kolarov; Sterling, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Nolito; de Bruyne, Silva; Aguero
Prediction: Manchester United 0-2 Manchester City
.