Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan expects a fiercely contested opening to Wednesday's EFL Cup fourth-round tie against Manchester United as both sides aim to bounce back from recent indifferent form.
Premier League leader City is without a win in five matches across all competitions, while United suffered a humbling 4-0 reverse at Chelsea on Sunday.
"Their defeat could be a factor, but it is the same for us because we’ve not won for five games," Gundogan told his club's official website. "Of course, we want to win this game and because we both are looking to get the win that will get us back on track it could be a very lively game.