Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole believe his old club can find a way to beat Manchester City on Sunday afternoon if the players approach the contest in “tip-top form.”

United, who have won their last three visits to the Etihad Stadium, will make the short hop across town as underdogs, with City currently riding high at the summit. City also schooled United back in November in a 2-0 win at Old Trafford.

However, United have only lost once in the league since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked. They have shown signs of promise at times under Ralf Rangnick — even if results, including a number of draws, have sometimes suggested otherwise.

With that in mind, plus United’s track record of approaching big games with a mentality of hitting their opponents on the counter-attack. Cole has told his former side what they must do at the Etihad.

“They [City] can be got at but United have to be in tip-top form to cause those problems,” Cole told United’s club website. “Counter-attacking football.

“They will dominate the ball for long periods of the game so counter-attacking football is massive for United to try to win the game, breaking with pace. You can ask where they have the pace to hurt City and I don’t know really but Anthony Elanga could be an option.

“Marcus Rashford has pace but I don’t know if Marcus is going to play. Jadon Sancho has decent pace. But I keep saying I just don’t know really and football matches are never ever going to change.

“If you dominate the midfield areas, you’ve always got a chance of controlling a football match. If you look at how City play at the moment, they defend from the halfway line and you’ve got 40 yards to run into. It’s whether you can get the ball into those positions to be able to hurt them.

“Let’s see if we can do that. We know derby games are crazy games.”

Although the former striker who played for United between 1995 and 2001 believes Rangnick’s troops can hurt City, he has outlined how the nature of a derby match can often spring the unexpected.

“Derby days are whatever they are,” Cole added. “I’ve got to be brutally honest and it doesn’t really matter which teams are in whatever positions or whatever form. Ultimately, it all goes out of the window.

“Manchester United have been to the Etihad and got results when no-one expected them to get results. So it is that simple but, again being honest, it’s a little bit harder this weekend because United’s form has been so indifferent. We don’t know which Manchester United is going to turn up.

“I must admit I was expecting us to win comfortably against Watford but it ended up being a 0-0 draw. So, I’m not sure what we’ll see come Sunday.

“I’m not sure which result we’ll see and I don’t think anyone can say what will happen. Whatever Manchester United turns up and whatever Manchester City turns up, United can still get a result.

“People will say ‘oh you’re biased and a United fan’ but I’m being honest. If the right United turns up, they can cause City problems and vice versa. That’s football and, saying that, it’s also a derby game as well. Anything can happen.”