What time is the Manchester derby, where is it and eight other things you need to know about this weekend’s explosive clash
Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola get their first taste of the 'Denis Law derby', but what can you expect from the big game?
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THIS weekend hosts the latest exciting instalment of the Manchester derby, with Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola getting their first taste of the action.
With just a few days until the big kick-off, SunSport runs down the ten things you need to know about the showdown...
WHEN
THE first Manchester derby of the season will take place on Saturday September 10, 2016.
It is the first kick-off of the Premier League weekend, with the game getting underway at 12.30pm.
WHERE
THE opening derby game of the season in Manchester will take place at Old Trafford.
The second game of the season, at the Etihad, is currently scheduled for February 25, 2017.
HOW TO WATCH
IF you fancy watching the game live and aren't lucky enough to have a tickets, fear not...
The showdown will be broadcast live on Sky Sports 1 from 11.30pm, with kick-off at 12.30pm.
WHAT, WHERE & WHEN?
Manchester Derby
Man United v Man City
12.30pm, Saturday September 10
Old Trafford
AGUERO NEWS
FOR anyone unclear regarding Sergio Aguero, the Argentine will NOT be contesting the Manchester derby.
The star City forward - the fifth-highest goalscorer in derby history - is suspended after elbowing West Ham's Winston Reid in the face during his side's 3-1 win last week.
Aguero will also miss games against Bournemouth in the Premier League, and Swansea in the League Cup.
He could however still lace up his boots for City's Champions League game against Borussia Monchengladbach - if he has recovered from his groin injury, that is...
LAST TIME OUT
DESPITE their poor season, by their standards, under Louis van Gaal, United had the better of things in the 2015-16 campaign.
In the two sides' last meeting, Man United ran out 1-0 winners at the Etihad Stadium, thanks to a Marcus Rashford winner.
RELATED STORIES
JOSE v PEP
THIS Manchester derby will have a special flavour to it, as it will be Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola's first taste of the big game.
Mourinho may have been involved in plenty of big matches for Chelsea, this is undoubtedly the biggest of his brief United tenure, thus far.
But how do the pair match up when they have played each other before during their days as Inter Milan and Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich bosses respectively.
Jose v Pep: Head-to-head
Played - 16
Mourinho wins - 3
Guardiola wins - 7
Draws - 6
As you can see, Guardiola has the rub of the green over Mourinho with seven wins to the Special One's three.
Then again, the Manchester derby is a different kettle of fish altogether...
HISTORY
THE first recorded game in Manchester derby history came all the way back in 1881, when Newton Heath [United] beat West Gorton [City] 3-0 away.
Since then, the pair have faced off an outrageous 171 times... But which team has had the better of things in the past 135 years?
United v City: Head-to-head
Played - 171
Man United wins - 71
Man City wins - 49
Draws - 51
Biggest City win: 6-1 (2011)
Biggest United win: 5-0 (1994)
United have had much the better of the meetings in history with 71 wins, to City's 49.
But with the Sir Alex Ferguson-inspired era of United dominance vanishing over the years, City have begun to claw things back - including a thumping 6-1 win just five years ago.
United's biggest ever win over City meanwhile was 5-0 back in 1994.
TOP SCORER
THERE'S a good sign for Mourinho's United in this one, with Wayne Rooney the Manchester derby's all-time top scorer.
The England forward - now also the Three Lions' most-capped outfield player - has netted 11 times since his first derby goal back in 2005.
City's top derby goal-getter meanwhile is the suspended Aguero - who sits fifth on the all-time list with eight strikes, behind Bobby Charlton among other famous faces.
MOST APPEARANCES
HARDLY a surprising one this, as the evergreen Ryan Giggs tops the list of Manchester derby appearances with a mind-boggling 36.
The United ace spent his entire career - 24 seasons - at Old Trafford, which averages 1.5 derbies per season.
Given that Man City yo-yo'd in an out of the Premier League during his time, that's an impressive stat.
NOTABLE PLAYERS TO FEATURE FOR BOTH TEAMS
IT'S barely believable that a rivalry with as much animosity as United v City would allow players to turn out for BOTH teams.
But amazingly, it's a common issue, particularly in the past couple of decades.
Of course there was Denis Law, the most famous of all switchers, but other notable players include Brian Kidd, Andrei Kanchelskis, Peter Schmeichel, Andy Cole, Carlos Tevez and Owen Hargreaves, to name a few.
Who's next?