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Joe Hart

LONDON. — Scarred by a run of three games without victory, misfiring English Premiership soccer champions Manchester City will attempt to reassert their authority when they host derby rivals Manchester United tomorrow.

Having blown a two-goal lead to draw at CSKA Moscow in the Champions League, City fell six points behind league leaders Chelsea after losing at West Ham United and were then knocked out of the League Cup by Newcastle United.

Wednesday’s 2-0 loss at home to Newcastle came despite City manager Manuel Pellegrini fielding a strong team, and goalkeeper Joe Hart has called on his team-mates to raise their game against United tomorrow.

“Not everyone’s exactly at their peak at the moment, but we just need a few players, myself included, to step up,” the England goalkeeper, who was rested against Newcastle, told Sky Sports News.

“It will come back. It’s just one of those difficult patches that we’ve gone through many a time. Last season, we had less points and were in a worse position (at this stage of the season), and we won the league.

“We’ve got to look to things like that, but the main thing is to get it right on Sunday.”

David Silva is out of tomorrow’s match for City after going off against Newcastle with a knee injury but Yaya Toure is expected to feature despite being substituted in the second half as a precaution over a groin complaint.

Silva has been ruled out for nearly a month after sustaining a knee injury, Pellegrini said yesterday.

The Spanish playmaker was withdrawn after suffering the injury only nine minutes into City’s shock 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United in the League Cup on Wednesday. Scans have now revealed possible ligament damage.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League derby with Manchester United, City boss Pellegrini told a news conference that Silva would be out for “three to four weeks”.

The loss of the influential Spaniard comes as a major blow for the champions, who have endured a stuttering start to the season and are third in the table on 17 points.

Wayne Rooney, the leading scorer in Manchester derbies with 11 goals, has completed a three-match suspension and is set to return to the United attack despite reports he has sustained a foot injury.

A 94th-minute equaliser by Robin van Persie earned Louis van Gaal’s United a morale-boosting 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea last weekend.

United lost 4-1 and 3-0 to City last season, but victory at the Etihad would take them to within a point of the champions.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa will also be aiming to break out of an alarming slump against Tottenham Hotspur, before Crystal Palace bring the curtain down on the English Premier League weekend at home to Sunderland on Monday night.

Prior to all of that, rejuvenated Newcastle United get things up and running against Liverpool today lunchtime.

There are then six other matches today with leaders Chelsea seeking to preserve their four-point lead at the summit at home to capital rivals Queens Park Rangers, while Southampton endeavour to close the gap at Hull City.

West Ham will want a fourth straight win away at Stoke City, Arsenal entertain win-less Burnley at Emirates Stadium, Everton play Swansea City and Leicester City will look to start edging away from trouble at home to West Bromwich Albion.

But there is no escaping the fact that the tie of the weekend sees Manchester City lock horns with Manchester United, with roles having been reversed somewhat in the north west and United now the “noisy neighbours” wanting to knock the defending champions off their perch.

Louis van Gaal’s side remain a work in process, but they are four unbeaten in the league and will hope that a lack of European football to contend with works in their favour as they look to make it four without a win in all competitions for City and fire themselves towards the Uefa Champions League places.

After the action at the Etihad, the focus of Super Sunday shifts to the Midlands for Aston Villa’s clash with Tottenham. Villa have been in free-fall of late, with five straight defeats dropping them to within two points of the drop zone and piling pressure on manager Paul Lambert – who only penned a new four-year deal in September.

Fixtures (all 5pm unless stated)

Today: Newcastle v Liverpool (2:45pm); Arsenal v Burnley; Chelsea v QPR; Everton v Swansea; Hull v Southampton; Leicester v West Brom; Stoke v West Ham.

Tomorrow: Man City v Man Utd (3:30pm); Aston Villa v Tottenham (6pm)

Monday: Crystal Palace v Sunderland (10pm). — AFP

LONDON. — Scarred by a run of three games without victory, misfiring English Premiership soccer champions Manchester City will attempt to reassert their authority when they host derby rivals Manchester United tomorrow.
Having blown a two-goal lead to draw at CSKA Moscow in the Champions League, City fell six points behind league leaders Chelsea after losing at West Ham United and were then knocked out of the League Cup by Newcastle United.
Wednesday’s 2-0 loss at home to Newcastle came despite City manager Manuel Pellegrini fielding a strong team, and goalkeeper Joe Hart has called on his team-mates to raise their game against United tomorrow.
“Not everyone’s exactly at their peak at the moment, but we just need a few players, myself included, to step up,” the England goalkeeper, who was rested against Newcastle, told Sky Sports News.
“It will come back. It’s just one of those difficult patches that we’ve gone through many a time. Last season, we had less points and were in a worse position (at this stage of the season), and we won the league.
“We’ve got to look to things like that, but the main thing is to get it right on Sunday.”
David Silva is out of tomorrow’s match for City after going off against Newcastle with a knee injury but Yaya Toure is expected to feature despite being substituted in the second half as a precaution over a groin complaint.
Silva has been ruled out for nearly a month after sustaining a knee injury, Pellegrini said yesterday.
The Spanish playmaker was withdrawn after suffering the injury only nine minutes into City’s shock 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United in the League Cup on Wednesday. Scans have now revealed possible ligament damage.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League derby with Manchester United, City boss Pellegrini told a news conference that Silva would be out for “three to four weeks”.
The loss of the influential Spaniard comes as a major blow for the champions, who have endured a stuttering start to the season and are third in the table on 17 points.
Wayne Rooney, the leading scorer in Manchester derbies with 11 goals, has completed a three-match suspension and is set to return to the United attack despite reports he has sustained a foot injury.
A 94th-minute equaliser by Robin van Persie earned Louis van Gaal’s United a morale-boosting 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea last weekend.
United lost 4-1 and 3-0 to City last season, but victory at the Etihad would take them to within a point of the champions.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa will also be aiming to break out of an alarming slump against Tottenham Hotspur, before Crystal Palace bring the curtain down on the English Premier League weekend at home to Sunderland on Monday night.
Prior to all of that, rejuvenated Newcastle United get things up and running against Liverpool today lunchtime.
There are then six other matches today with leaders Chelsea seeking to preserve their four-point lead at the summit at home to capital rivals Queens Park Rangers, while Southampton endeavour to close the gap at Hull City.
West Ham will want a fourth straight win away at Stoke City, Arsenal entertain win-less Burnley at Emirates Stadium, Everton play Swansea City and Leicester City will look to start edging away from trouble at home to West Bromwich Albion.
But there is no escaping the fact that the tie of the weekend sees Manchester City lock horns with Manchester United, with roles having been reversed somewhat in the north west and United now the “noisy neighbours” wanting to knock the defending champions off their perch.
Louis van Gaal’s side remain a work in process, but they are four unbeaten in the league and will hope that a lack of European football to contend with works in their favour as they look to make it four without a win in all competitions for City and fire themselves towards the Uefa Champions League places.
After the action at the Etihad, the focus of Super Sunday shifts to the Midlands for Aston Villa’s clash with Tottenham. Villa have been in free-fall of late, with five straight defeats dropping them to within two points of the drop zone and piling pressure on manager Paul Lambert – who only penned a new four-year deal in September.

Fixtures (all 5pm unless stated)
Today: Newcastle v Liverpool (2:45pm); Arsenal v Burnley; Chelsea v QPR; Everton v Swansea; Hull v Southampton; Leicester v West Brom;  Stoke v West Ham.
Tomorrow:    Man City v Man Utd (3:30pm);  Aston Villa v Tottenham (6pm)
Monday: Crystal Palace v Sunderland (10pm).  — AFP