Back in April, when Manchester United's move for Erik ten Hag drew closer, Pep Guardiola didn't let club rivalries stop him singing the Dutchman's praises.
Indeed, with the then-Ajax boss on the verge of his new job, with Mauricio Pochettino the only other remaining contender, Manchester City boss Guardiola was in no doubt about the qualities of the man who worked under him at Bayern Munich, even earmarking him as a potential successor at City one day. "Are you asking me if Erik ten Hag could be here? Definitely," he said.
Fast forward five months and Ten Hag goes into the game at the Etihad Stadium off the back of four successive league wins, helping the Red Devils recover from their slow start to the Premier League season. However, he will need to show some improvement on last season's performances, when United were nowhere near their neighbours in defeats under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.
