Manchester United have been in rejuvenated form ahead of the first Manchester derby of the new season, but they will know all too well that form counts for very little on derby day.
A trip to face Man City on Sunday signals the toughest test of Erik ten Hag's managerial career so far and with it an opportunity for him to pit his wits against arguably the best side in world football right now.
Pep Guardiola's side haven't been perfect this season, but buoyed by the seismic signing of Erling Haaland, the Etihad Stadium has become somewhat of a fortress, even if it is often mocked by rival fans.
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Their home record is perfect so far this season, with a frantic 2-2 home draw with Liverpool back in April representing the last time they failed to win on home turf. They've only failed to win once at home this calendar year.
This season, City have only conceded three goals at home across all competitions, and even when they did, they went on to win both of those matches.
Draws against Newcastle and Aston Villa away from home are the only two blotches on their record book this season, and even then, they hardly felt like stains given they felt like points salvaged rather than dropped.
Playing badly and avoiding defeat is a typical sign of a champion and a trait Sir Alex Ferguson was famed for at United himself. Now the boot is on the other foot, and United head to the Etihad this weekend knowing they must not only play to their optimum but hope City have another of those rare off-days.
What is interesting about those two matches is that City's defence was terrorised by blistering pace on the counter-attack and, more importantly, the artistry of attacking talent.
Allan Saint-Maximin was at the heart of everything Newcastle did to get their side back into the match, while for Villa, Leon Bailey and Jacob Ramsey were thorns in their side with their perpetual movement and direct dribbling styles.
It is safe to say both sides sprung an element of a surprise in regards to how competitive they were on the day, and City will no doubt be fired up to ensure they don't drop points again this weekend, but a United win certainly isn't out of the question.
United have already beaten both Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League this season, and in each of those games they punished their opponents with their lethal play on the break, carving open the defence with brilliant passing before using blistering pace to race through on goal.
Ten Hag's hopes of replicating that this weekend could be dealt a hefty blow with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial both doubts for the game, though with two days of training before the showdown, there is a slight hope either of them could be named on the bench at least.
It means United might well have a trump card to introduce late on, so long as they can stay in the game, but beforehand they will likely rely on Jadon Sancho and Antony to lead the forward line and look to exploit the City defence as others have done already this season.
Arguably the brightest moment of Sancho's first season at the club came when he did the very same thing at the Etihad last season, drawing United level in the derby with a sublime solo goal on the break, before a pathetic second-half team performance followed.
Sancho was instrumental again in the win over Liverpool earlier in the season with clear confidence in the way he gave United the lead, though his performance against Arsenal was less notable, with Rashford claiming the headlines for his brace.
On the other flank, Antony peaked with his debut goal against Arsenal but is steadily finding his feet at United, though he is yet to have a complete performance that really highlights his true quality.
It is no criticism of the 22-year-old to say his first few weeks have been a little underwhelming, though there is clear mitigation given he joined the club after the season started and has not been helped by an erratic fixture schedule that has thrown him off-balance.
After another encouraging international break, he will be looking to hit the ground running back in Manchester, and if there are any doubters of his enormous talent, then a starring role on Sunday would be the perfect way to respond to them.
Given that City have already shown a vulnerability to tricky wingers this season, there is a clear reason for United to be confident in their own talents this weekend, particularly given that the onus will be on the home side to attack.
Ten Hag is desperate for his side to form their own identity as one of the best footballing sides in Europe, but this weekend their best chance of beating Guardiola's Goliaths will come from embracing their slight underdog status and punishing them on the break.
The expected absence of Martial and Rashford is certainly a blow, but with Sancho and Antony in attack, they still have so much to offer.
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