Micah Richards identifies how Riyad Mahrez needs to improve for Man City

straight to your inbox every day for freeRio Ferdinand has backed Scott McTominay to become a mainstay in Manchester United's starting line-up if the midfielder can improve his consistency.McTominay scored the winning goal for the Reds in their FA Cup tie against Watford, heading home early on to give his side the lead.

straight to your inboxGary Neville believes Manchester City's performances in the past week have shown they are a 'dangerous proposition' once again.City defeated Chelsea in the Premier League at the weekend before knocking Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup at the semi-final stage with a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford.

direct to your inboxManchester United and Manchester City are locking horns in a Carabao Cup semi-final tonight.City, winners of the competition in each of the last three seasons, tackle a United side looking to lift the competition for the first time since 2017. With the country having entered a third lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, Old Trafford will once again be without fans but it remains a fiercely-anticipated clash.

straight to your inbox every day for freeManchester United have included Dean Henderson and Victor Lindelof in their side to face Manchester City tonight.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has picked a strong team for the Carabao Cup semi-final clash at Old Trafford, with Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford starting.United have made just the two changes from the 11 that beat Aston Villa 2-1 on New Year's Day.

straight to your inboxKevin De Bruyne might be needed to continue as a false nine when Manchester City take on Manchester United for a place in the Carabao Cup final.City travel to Old Trafford for a one-leg semi-final full of confidence after beating Chelsea on Sunday.

straight to your inboxPhil Foden should be starting every game for Manchester City from now on, according to Micah Richards.Foden starred as City beat Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in Sunday's Premier League clash. The England international has not been a regular starter for Pep Guardiola 's side this season.

straight to your inboxRoy Keane says Manchester City cannot be written off in the title race.City had something of a slow start to the season by their usual standards and they find themselves seven points off the top ahead of facing Chelsea this afternoon, albeit with two games in hand over most teams around them.

straight to your inboxBarcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta is confident Lionel Messi will remain at the club beyond next summer despite interest from Manchester City.Messi dropped a bombshell in the summer by revealing he was seriously unhappy at the club, submitting a transfer request in the hope the club would allow him to leave for nothing.Barcelona insisted the release clause that would see Messi depart on a free had expired and the Argentine opted against fighting his current

straight to your inboxWith Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi's contract expiring at the end of the season, the Argentine can open talks with interested parties in January, with Manchester City one of the clubs linked with signing the legendary forward.Ahead of January, former City defender Pablo Zabaleta is under no illusions that City would be a great club for Messi to join."Manchester City is the best place for Messi," Zabaleta told Spanish media outlet Marca.

straight to your inboxLionel Messi praised the impact Pep Guardiola has had on his career, as the Barcelona star continues to be linked with a summer exit from the Nou Camp.Messi wanted to leave Barca last summer, but opted to stay when it became clear he would have to go through the courts with the club to get his way.

direct to your inboxThe date and kick-off details for Manchester United and Manchester City's Carabao Cup semi-final have been confirmed. The match will come after a hectic festive fixture schedule for both clubs and be played on January 6 at Old Trafford, with kick-off at 7:45pm.

direct to your inboxManchester United will host Manchester City in one of the Carabao Cup semi-finals in a repeat of last year's last-four tie. Earlier this year City won 3-2 on aggregate after the Blues won 3-1 at Old Trafford and United won the reverse fixture 1-0.

straight to your inboxAn injury-free run and positive mentality has allowed John Stones to turn around his Manchester City fortunes as he impressed again in the hard-fought win over Southampton.Stones, starting his fourth game in the last five, has been one of City's stand-out performers in the last two months, winning back his place in Pep Guardiola's side and not letting go. Once more, he was solid at Southampton against the prolific Danny Ings and dangerous Che Adams.