Derby Preview: Man United VS Man City - Prediction

Manchester United and Manchester City will renew their rivalry on Sunday as the first Manchester derby of the season takes place at Old Trafford. The two teams have made very different starts to the new Premier League campaign, but form does not always tell the full story when it comes to a derby.

Michael Carrick's Manchester United have collected four points from their opening three league matches. They started the season with a disappointing 2-0 defeat against newly promoted Hull City before responding with an impressive 5-2 victory over Ipswich Town. United then dropped two points against Everton, conceding late in a 2-2 draw. As a result, they currently sit 11th in the table.

However, United received a much-needed confidence boost in midweek. They marked their return to the Champions League with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Sabah at Old Trafford. Manchester City arrive at Old Trafford in much stronger league form. Enzo Maresca's team have won all three of their Premier League matches and sit at the top of the table with nine points. City also started their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 away victory against Porto.

But Michael Carrick knows what it takes to win this fixture, having guided United to a 2-0 league victory over City last season. A second consecutive derby win would be a major statement, particularly after an inconsistent beginning to the campaign. Carrick could also become only the third United manager to win his first two league matches against City. But the United boss knows tomorrow's game will be different.

He said, “It'll definitely be different because no two games are ever the same, so it’s definitely going to be different. There's no way we're assuming: ‘We won last year, we can do the same things and everything will be the same.’ I understand the expectation." "We know it's a big game, we know it’s an important game. There’s a lot riding on it, that’s pretty obvious to say, but we're looking forward to it. We've got a short space of time to recover and prepare, but we'll make the most of it," Carrick added.

Stats & Facts

• Man United defeated Man City last year in the Premier League at Old Trafford.
• A win tomorrow would see Michael Carrick become only the 3rd Man United manager to win the first two matches against Manchester City.
• Manchester United holds 81 wins compared to Manchester City's 62 victories, alongside 55 draws across all competitions.
• Bruno Fernandes leads Manchester United's early season scoring charts with 3 goals.
• Erling Haaland has also scored 3 goals for Manchester City in his first three league matches.
• Manchester United holds the second-highest expected goals (xG) figure in the Premier League early on, accumulating an xG of 7.3 through their opening 3 fixtures.

Team News

Man United's left-back Luke Shaw missed the match against Sabah in the Champions League, while Patrick Dorgu replaced him. Although Shaw is fully fit, Dorgu played brilliantly in the last game. His strong performance makes him the favourite to start against Manchester City. Benjamin Sesko scored two goals in his last two games for United and is likely to start tomorrow. As a result, Marcus Rashford will start from the bench, while Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo will play on the two wings.

As for Man City, they will miss the service of Jeremy Doku due to his calf injury, but Nico O'Reilly has recovered and is available for selection. New signing Enzo Fernandez is also available to face Man United at Old Trafford.

Possible Lineup for Man United:

Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Dorgu; Tielemans, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko

Possible Lineup for Man City:

Donnarumma; Nunes, Guehi, Dias, Gvardiol; Anderson, Fernandez; Semenyo, Cherki, Ndiaye; Haaland

Prediction: Man United 2-1 Man City

Manchester City will enter the derby as favourites after winning their opening three League matches, but beating United at Old Trafford may not be straightforward. United have struggled for consistency, particularly defensively, but their 4-0 Champions League victory in midweek should provide some confidence. Benjamin Sesko's return to goalscoring form also gives Michael Carrick another attacking option alongside Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo. With home advantage and derby intensity playing a part, a 2-1 win for Man United looks a reasonable prediction.

Betfair Odds

Man United: 3.20

Draw: 3.60

Man City: 2.10

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