Manchester — After the phony war of their first season in Manchester, the rivalry between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola will resume for real in Sunday’s seismic showdown at Old Trafford. The two managers renewed acquaintances at the start of last season after Mourinho took the reins at Manchester United and Guardiola set up shop across town at Manchester City. Guardiola claimed first blood, leading City to a 2-1 win at Old Trafford in September 2016, but both teams ended the campaign well adrift of Premier League champions Chelsea. Fifteen games into the new season, City are eight points clear of United at the head of the table and Sunday’s game is being billed as Mourinho’s big chance to stick a spoke in Guardiola’s wheels. "We have a big week, with Swansea and Tottenham following the United game," says City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne. "If we lost two out of three and they win everything, they are there." The arrival in Manchester of the two pre-eminent managers of the age stoked...
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