A Manchester derby, in which the drama will be in whether United or City can be less boring

Richard Jolly writes all available evidence points to this edition of the Manchester derby being a downer, with neither side exactly firing with excitement at the moment.

Neither Vincent Kompany of Manchester City nor Wayne Rooney of Manchester united is expected to play in the derby on Sunday. Michael Regan / Getty Images

It is a fixture that has brought fireworks. The last five years of Manchester derbies have brought a 6-1, a 4-1, a 4-2, a 3-0 and no fewer than three 3-2 scorelines.

Yet after 41 goals in 10 games, October’s encounter was a goalless stalemate.

It may be an unwanted omen. Manchester City's last two games have finished scoreless. They have had six 0-0 draws this season, only one fewer than a Manchester United team often deemed boring.

City were England’s great entertainers. They scored 102 league goals two seasons ago. Now they are on course for just 68, 33 per cent fewer.

That is still considerably more than United who, should they carry on at the same rate, will end with just 48.

It would be comfortably their lowest tally since Sir Alex Ferguson’s side mustered a mere 46 in 1989/90.

So where have all the goals gone? The inquests have tended to focus on Old Trafford. Understandably, too, considering Louis van Gaal has spent £285 million (Dh1.5 billion) and fashioned the dreariest United team for years.

They have only struck twice in four matches. Total-football principles seem to give the Dutchman a strange distaste for finishers.

He has sold Javier Hernandez, who has scored almost twice as many goals as any United player this season. He dispensed with Robin van Persie, the last man to get 30 in a season for them. Neither had a direct replacement.

Read more: Diego Forlan – From Real Madrid to Man City, Manuel Pellegrini's quiet quality has spoke volumes

Also see: Marcus Rashford example is Manchester United way with youth – would Jose Mourinho get it right?

The forward addition was Anthony Martial, a huge talent but scarcely a specialist predator. Marcus Rashford’s brilliant start to his first-team career lent a false sheen to a mistaken policy.

Van Gaal left his side short-staffed in attack and overly dependent on Wayne Rooney rewinding the clock.

The captain scored seven goals in nine games before suffering a knee problem, but only after enduring a barren 2015.

United must have anticipated more goals from the supporting cast. Memphis Depay was the top scorer in the Eredivisie in the Netherlands last season but only has two in 23 Premier League games.

Juan Mata, with five from 29, has fared little better. The four main central midfielders have a mere three between them.

The statistics suggest that, quite simply, United attack too little. Before the weekend games, they ranked third for possession, one place behind City, but 14th for shots per game, a dozen spots behind their neighbours.

They were 14th, too, for efforts from inside the box. It showed they have had passes without penetration, highlighting the dearth of creativity and attacking intent in Van Gaal’s team.

The numbers indicate that City are more progressive but more profligate. Manuel Pellegrini believes his attacking ethos is a constant, but his team’s goal tally is decreasing.

Sergio Aguero has scored 10 goals in his last 12 appearances, but City’s reliance on him has been exacerbated by Wilfried Bony’s struggles, the way Kelechi Iheanacho has been underused and a switch to 4-2-3-1, which necessitates contributions from midfielders.

And, struggling with an ankle injury, David Silva has been below his best. He recorded two assists in the 4-0 thrashing of Aston Villa, but has not scored or created a league goal against anyone else in the last two months.

The productive Kevin De Bruyne has been out since January with a knee problem. Raheem Sterling had scored 10 times by Boxing Day. His only strikes since then have come against Villa.

Yaya Toure’s waning physical powers mean he is not the box-to-box powerhouse who, two years ago, became only the second central midfielder to record 20 goals in a Premier League campaign.

This season’s total stands at six. It is six more than another supposedly attacking midfielder has mustered. Pellegrini keeps on picking Jesus Navas, who has gone 70 league games without scoring.

Injuries have taken their toll, a team has looked tired and City have found themselves confronted by the massed ranks of defences.

Yet if it is still a surprise that their goals have been such rarities, it indicates why the most dramatic of derbies could be duller this season.

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