Manchester United vs Manchester City

Old Trafford forms the backdrop for the latest iteration of the Manchester derby as Manchester United and Manchester City lock horns in a Premier League blockbuster.

Seemingly destined for a first bottom-half finish in the Premier League era, Manchester United will be out to claim bragging rights and settle fans’ nerves amid a dreadful domestic campaign. After a 2-1 win in December’s reverse fixture at the Etihad, United can complete a first league double over City since 2019/20. It would be the ultimate confidence booster ahead of their Europa League quarter-final tie against Lyon, which could determine Ruben Amorim’s fate at the helm. The Portuguese manager chases a piece of history in this meeting, looking to become the third manager after Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel to defeat Pep Guardiola in three consecutive H2Hs. Old Trafford should be an ideal venue, yet the Red Devils have only won once in their last four home league outings (D1, L2).

Meanwhile, Manchester City flew out of the traps after the international break, beating Bournemouth in the FA Cup before easing past Leicester City (2-0) in the Premier League to maintain their top-four pursuit alive. However, the Citizens lost standout striker Erling Haaland to injury in the latter fixture, which could significantly derail their scoring potential, not least because the Norwegian has tallied nine goal contributions in the five Manchester derbies in the Premier League (G6, A3). Worryingly, Guardiola’s charges have suffered six defeats across their last 11 league matches on the road (W3, D2) – as many losses as in their previous 37 combined (W26, D5).