Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Etihad Stadium

If City do win the title by beating their fiercest rivals, they will have to wait before they get their hands on the Premier League trophy.

Pep Guardiola and his players are planning to return to the pitch for a lap of honour if they are crowned champions, but without the silverware.

And fans have been asked not to invade the pitch - as has happened on their previous two Premier League triumphs - so the turf is not damaged before the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Liverpool on Tuesday.

The trophy presentation is expected to take place at City's home game with Huddersfield on Sunday 6 May - if they have finished the job by then of course.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Etihad Stadium

Manchester City getting their supporters in the mood with a big screen montage of recent goals against Manchester United that includes all the usual suspects such as Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero and David Silva.

Not sure Manchester United's fans appreciated it.

Manchester United

Manchester United Jose Mourinho tells Sky Sports: "In this moment, we have one more point than Liverpool and two matches in hand. Spurs are also in the same race as us to finish second but we know it will be difficult. If we get three or one point today, it will be important for us.

"It is always the same approach. When they have the ball, we have to try not to concede and defend as a unit, be disciplined and not forget their great qualities. With the ball, we have to be aggressive.

"Guardiola says that (about Pogba), the agent denies it so someone is saying the truth and one is not. I am not interested in who is the liar and who is honest."

Andrew Cole
Former Manchester United striker on BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, Getty Images

"Lukaku has shown it (mental strength). He went through a blip earlier in the season and everyone was questioning him. He came back and got goals.

“You can’t run around like a headless chicken because you are the only man up front. You have to limit your runs at times and sometimes the service has not been the best for him, but he does what he can do.

“I have always said this season, watching him, for him to have got the goals he has and the way he has played, I take my hat off to him.

“It is a difficult role, playing one man up top in any Premier League team. When it is a team like Manchester United have been playing this season, he has been phenomenal.

“Scoring over 25 goals in his first season, come on, what more can you expect?”

Image source, Getty Images

Striker Romelu Lukaku has 26 goals for Manchester United in his first season, having joined from Everton for £75m in the summer, and leads the line again.

Yet questions still remain, rather unfairly, whether he is a good fit for this United side and if he does enough for the team.

The Belgian is in good form coming into the game having scored in each of his last three games in all competitions.

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live former Manchester City striker Shaun Goater said: "I’m excited. Manchester United have absolutely dominated football, it’s about time they had a little moment when they’re a bit quiet.

"If City do win then it will probably be a subdued celebration because they have Liverpool on Tuesday.

"If I'm Jose Mourinho you're thinking, 'I'm going to have a go but will he stick with his philosophy to be pragmatic and hit them on the counter attack.'"

Friday's 'embargo-gate', where an Italian news outlet published this article before the 10:30pm release time, angered a lot of journalists, but what a sensational story it is.

Manchester City were offered the chance to buy Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Manchester United in January, said manager Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola said the pair's agent, Mino Raiola, contacted him and told him the midfielders were available.

But the ex-Barcelona boss said there was "no way" a deal for Pogba would be possible.

He added: "We don't have the money to buy Pogba because he is so expensive."

Boos ring out, not for the last time this afternoon, as the United players enter the pitch for their warm-ups.

The City players were out a few minutes earlier and have been going through their routines.

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Etihad Stadium

Image source, BBC Sport

... but things are going to get more colourful here at later one way or another - whether it be red or blue in the ascendancy.

The message spelt out by banners left on the seats of the East Stand at Etihad Stadium for the home fans who are currently streaming into the ground is 'We are City'... they could be leaving it singing "we are the champions" later.

Richard: David de Gea would certainly get straight into City's team. Can't think of a team in Europe who wouldn't take him into their starting XI.

Lewis: Only De Gea would get in City's XI. Marcus Rashford doesn't even get in United's team let alone City's.

Three points today would see City claim the earliest title victory in terms of the date and number of games remaining.

But they also have plenty of other records in their sights before the end of the season:

Image source, bbc

Andrew Cole
Former Manchester United striker on BBC Radio 5 live

It going to be lively.

Manchester United’s players don’t want to lose because it will go down in history that City won the title by beating them. I think Pep Guardiola wants to get this out of the way, get it done and dusted.

It is going to be interesting to see how Jose Mourinho sets up. Have a go because you have the potential to hurt them.

For me, personally, crack on and have a go.

Image source, Getty Images

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Etihad Stadium

There were rumours around Etihad Stadium that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was going to make sweeping changes to his side with Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Liverpool in mind.

Not the case.

Changes yes, as Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Aymeric Laporte and Gabriel Jesus drop to the bench from the 3-0 loss at Anfield but still strong side with the added bonus of Sergio Aguero back as a substitute after injury.

Sirus Laia‏: For me only Alexis Sanchez, or maybe Rashford, comes into City XI. Sorry for United.

Jack Milner‏: I’d say Pogba would get into the City team because both Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane are overrated so would big Eric Bailly and David De Gea because he’s the GOAT.

Image source, Getty Images

City are unbeaten in their last 27 home league games (22 wins, five draws), winning the last 14 in a row.

Pep Guardiola makes four changes to the Manchester City side who lost 3-0 in Europe in midweek.

Kevin de Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Aymeric Laporte and Kyle Walker are rested.

They join the likes of Sergio Aguero on what must be one of the strongest benches in Premier League history.

Coming into the starting XI are Raheem Sterling, Danilo, Fabian Delph and Bernardo Silva.

City XI: Ederson, Danilo, Kompany, Otamendi, Delph, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, David Silva, Sterling, Sane.

Two changes for Manchester United as Juan Mata and Victor Vindelof, who started against Swansea, are replaced by Eric Bailly and Ander Herrera.

And that man Paul Pogba, with his blue hair, starts against the club that he was supposedly offered to in January.

Utd XI: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Young, Matic, Pogba, Herrera, Lingard, Sanchez, Lukaku.

With team news coming up shortly, how many Manchester United players (if any) do you think would make it into the City team?

Let me know your thoughts on Twitter using #bbcfootball, external or text in on 81111 (UK only). Remember to put names on text.

Joleon Lescott
Former Manchester City defender on Football Focus

Kevin De Bruyne has been so instrumental throughout the season so if you play him in the right position, he will do a job for you. Play him in the centre instead of the wing and you will get the best out of him.

Talking of buses...

City arrived at Etihad Stadium with a more subdued welcome earlier today after that barrage of missiles at Anfield on Wednesday evening.

How much of a factor was that in the 3-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg win for Liverpool?

Have a look a the footage from the bus before the game.

Image source, Rex Features

Sergio Aguero delivered the most dramatic title triumph ever seen with his injury-time goal for Manchester City against QPR in 2012.

Head here to read about other memorable title victories

Aguero has been struggling with injury recently, so will the Argentine start today?

Team news will be with you at 16:30 BST.