A clash between supposedly the two most expensive lineups in history overseen by two of the most decorated coaches will end the phoney war and ignite the Premier League season for real when Manchester United host Manchester City on Saturday.
Manchester United and Manchester City left their tortured opponents and the Premier League in no doubt they are the teams to beat this season after hugely confident demolitions of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
The teams clash at the Etihad stadium on Sunday (1700 IST) with United three points clear of champions City.
Premier League pacesetters Manchester United and Manchester City ground out wins to stay clear at the top while Arsenal remained in dogged pursuit with a 3-0 victory at Birmingham City on Saturday.
Chelsea's commanding start to the Premier League season continued with a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday as their rivals for the title continued to look vulnerable.
Here is a look at the clubs most likely to give City a run for their money next season.
IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Saturday.
The Manchester clubs' wretched continental seasons ended on Thursday as outclassed United and battling City suffered contrasting Europa League last-16 exits to an exhilarating Athletic Bilbao and a fortunate Sporting respectively.
Last season's FA Cup runners-up Chelsea struck four times before the break to crush second-tier Hull City 4-0 and stroll into the quarter-finals at Stamford Bridge on Friday.
Neighbours Manchester United and City recorded convincing wins to continue setting the pace in the Premier League but European champions Barcelona dropped points in La Liga. There were plenty of goals in Italy as the Serie A season finally got underway after a players' strike and German leaders Bayern Munich scored seven times in their match against Freiburg.
Manchester United dropped their first points of the season in a 1-1 draw at Stoke City on Saturday but ended the day top of the Premier League while Chelsea striker Fernando Torres scored and was sent off in his side's 4-1 win over Swansea City.
Reliance from 0600 hours today began complying with an oil ministry order asking it to first supply gas produced from eastern offshore KG-D6 fields to priority users -- urea making fertiliser plants, electricity generation houses, LPG extraction units and city gas distribution firms.
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has apologised to his team mates after being sent off against West Ham United during Saturday's Premier League match following a rash challenge on Stewart Downing.
Fernando Torres scored twice as Liverpool battled to a 3-2 English Premier League win at West Ham United on Saturday after the Londoners had twice pegged them back. Belgian centre back Thomas Vermaelen was a less likely two-goal hero as his double set up Arsenal for a 4-0 home thrashing of Wigan Athletic - emphatically avoiding a hat-trick of defeats after losses to Manchester United and City.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will not stoke his rivalry with fellow new recruit Pep Guardiola at Manchester City next season because it could damage his team's Premier League title hopes.
The match marks just the second time, and first in 35 years, that El Clasico will be played outside Spain.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Leicester City has a chance to go top of the English Premier League table with a maximum nine points.
Manchester United have enough in their armoury to cope with the loss of suspended striker Wayne Rooney, Everton manager Roberto Martinez warned his players on Friday ahead of this weekend's Premier League clash at Old Trafford.
Manchester United captain Rooney deserved the sending-off that jeopardised his side's nervy 2-1 Premier League win over West Ham United on Saturday, his manager Louis van Gaal said.
At the start of the English football season last August, bookmakers in Britain were offering odds of 5,000-1 against LeicesterCity winning the Premier League. 5,000-1? Now, let's put that into perspective.
Jose Mourinho returned to Chelsea on Monday, with the smiling 'Special One' saying he was now the 'Happy One' on his second coming as manager of the Premier League club he has always loved.
Carlos Tevez is getting paid 615,000 a week at Shanghai Shenhua, making him the world's best-paid player. His salary is now more than Cristiano Ronaldo's and Lionel Messi's!
Spoils were shared in two huge Premier League derbies, Chelsea's cracking start continued with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa and Wayne Rooney produced a Jekyll and Hyde display in a nervy Manchester United victory on Saturday.
Spoils were shared in two huge Premier League derbies, Chelsea's cracking start continued with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa and Wayne Rooney produced a Jekyll and Hyde display in a nervy Manchester United victory on Saturday.
2016 is at the halfway stage and the year has already seen some stunning sporting wins, underdogs emerging triumphant on the biggest stages of them all.
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