The stakes are high, the scrutiny intense. Manchester City host Manchester United on Sunday evening at the Etihad Stadium with both teams – and managers – needing to deliver.
A win for the hosts would ensure they stay on Chelsea’s tail, maintaining the six-point gap between first and second, or even clawing closer should Sonia Bompastor’s side drop points against West Ham earlier in the day. Lose, and their title credentials will be dealt an almighty blow, allowing United and potentially Arsenal to leapfrog them and putting a likely unassailable gap between themselves and top. For Marc Skinner’s side, a win keeps the pressure on third-place Arsenal and affirms a title challenge that, likewise, will be all-but snuffed out should they lose.
