Teddy Sheringham believes Manchester United’s best hope of beating Manchester City is if Michael Carrick starts one star in Sunday’s huge Premier League derby.
Under new manager Enzo Maresca, City have made a 100 per cent start to the Premier League season and are just ahead of Arsenal at the top of the table.
United meanwhile have won just one of their opening three games, but Sheringham isn’t convinced by either side and thinks the big match is too close to call.
‘It’s a tough game, but I still think it can go either way,’ the former Red Devils striker told talkSPORT.
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‘I don’t think either team are top notch these days. When you look at top teams now, I hate to say it, but Arsenal are the top team in the division and they’re the ones to beat.
‘I think everyone else is chasing them. I think both teams have got a lot of very good players, but still not top teams at the moment.
‘So, it could go either way on Sunday. Let’s hope it goes the Manchester United way, the red way. But it’ll be a tough game. I would probably go for a draw, but obviously I’ll be wanting Man United to win.’
Carrick’s first-choice starting XI looks pretty set with the exception of the attack. In the last two league games, Matheus Cunha has started at centre-forward, with Marcus Rashford on the left.
However, against Sabah in the Champions League on Thursday, Benjamin Sesko was the No.9 with Cunha on the wing. The decision paid off, with both finding the back of the net in a 4-0 win.
Sesko scored nine in 17 games under Carrick last season and came off the bench to net what was nearly a late winner at Everton last week.
Carrick has suggested he will rotate depending on the opposition, but Sheringham believes that United’s best chance of victory is when Sesko is in the team.
‘I like Sesko. I think he leads the line, brings other players into play and he can score goals. When you look at a centre-forward, that’s what you want from someone.
‘Back in the day, we used to have two centre-forwards. You used to work off each other. Playing that lone role is such a difficult one to play.
Who should start at centre-forward for Man Utd?
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Benjamin Sesko
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Matheus Cunha
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Other
‘Didier Drogba was probably the best at it. Samuel Eto’o had a way of playing it years ago. It’s very hard to score goals when you’re that lone player and I would find it very tough to do it.
‘What do you do? Put other players around him. Bruno Fernandes goes and joins in, Bryan Mbeumo joins in, Cunha joins in.
‘But there’s no real focal point if Sesko doesn’t play. So, I would like to say that he’ll be playing and give Man United a good chance of scoring goals as well as not conceding.’
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