Cristiano Ronaldo has four reasons for revenge vs Man City to finally end Manchester United hex

All eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the Manchester derby.Since his return to Old Trafford, his goalscoring touch has slowly but surely started to desert him after an auspicious beginning to his second spell at the club and his overall game is causing problems to Ralf Rangnick's determination to emphasise the importance of collective over individuals. But it is these big games where he can still be the difference- that maker United require in the final third. United were beaten 2-0 in the home derby and though the scoreline itself was not as embarrassing as it could and perhaps should have been, the manner of the defeat was.

United will be hellbent on atoning for that dismal home display and Ronaldo will be beginning his own personal revenge mission when United travel to the Etihad. There is next to no real alternative for his striker berth currently Ronaldo currently occupies and his place in the starting XI on Sunday looks assured.

But if past fixtures are anything to go by, Ronaldo will have his work cut out.

Firstly, Ronaldo is the only player to have been sent off twice in the fixture during the Premier League era, which is perhaps surprising given Marcus Rojo and Marouane Fellaini's own appearances in the derby. Fellaini himself saw red back in 2017 as the red mist descended and he was deemed to have headbutted Sergio Aguero. But Ronaldo has double the number of dismissals.

The first was for an awful challenge on former United frontman Andy Cole. Ronaldo squandered possession and was far too desperate in his determination to win back possession. He was initially spared the ignominy of dismissal but having made the challenge in front of the referee, he swiftly received his marching orders.

The second,