Sunday’s Premier League action caps off with the first edition of the Manchester derby of the 2023/24 Premier League season as Manchester United and Manchester City lock horns at Old Trafford.
Andre Onana redeemed himself for numerous blunders in the early season with a stoppage-time penalty save against Copenhagen on Tuesday, helping Erik ten Hag’s troops preserve a 1-0 lead.
The Cameroonian goalkeeper promised Man Utd fans great things (via Manchester Evening News) after a phenomenal stop in the dying moments helped him regain some confidence following a shaky beginning to life in England.
Harry Maguire’s header propelled the Red Devils to their first win in Group A, reigniting their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages after a two-game losing start.
Building positive momentum ahead of this blockbuster clash has been crucial for Man Utd amid growing pressure on Ten Hag following the club’s worst seven-game top-flight start in three decades.
While back-to-back wins over Brentford and Sheffield United added fresh impetus to their top-four charge, it will take something special to make it three league wins on the trot for the first time this season.
Man City avoided losing three Premier League matches in a row for the first time during Pep Guardiola’s regime with a hard-fought 2-1 home triumph over Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
After getting his bid to become the first manager to win four consecutive Premier League titles back on track, Guardiola will be out to post his fifth league victory at Old Trafford.
Nothing less will do for the Citizens if they’re to remain within striking distance of table-topping Tottenham Hotspur, with marquee striker Erling Haaland expected to provide a spark up front.
Last season’s Premier League top goalscorer has already scored nine league goals this term, so it’s hardly a surprise his shirt sales have skyrocketed, leading to record sales on every online shop that sells Premier League shirts.
His rise to stardom at the Etihad Stadium has earned worldwide attention, making Man City’s shirt sales go through the roof in the global market.
Match Preview
Man Utd claimed a precious win over Copenhagen in midweek Champions League action. But their performance flattered to deceive, which was the case in almost every Premier League game this season.
Each of their three home league victories this season have come by a single-goal margin and warranted a winner beyond the 75th minute, not to mention each arrived against sides from the bottom half of the table.
Speaking of United’s form woes, after going unbeaten at Old Trafford for over a year, they have lost three of their last six home outings in all competitions (W3), conceding precisely three goals on two occasions.
Despite overseeing a mini-revival (W3), Ten Hag is not out of the woods yet, though inspiring Man Utd to back-to-back home league wins over Man City for the first time in over a decade could quell fans’ nerves.
With only former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger (12) boasting more Premier League triumphs against Man Utd than Guardiola (7), the all-conquering Man City manager will be confident of snapping his side’s two-game losing away run.
A quick peek into the history books should inspire more enthusiasm around the Cityzens camp, considering they’ve won more Premier League away games against the Red Devils (8) than any other side.
However, there’s an ominous piece of history. The last time Man City lost three consecutive away league matches was between May and July 2020, a run which included a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford.
Though Haaland remains the most formidable player on this roster, Guardiola can rely on in-form Julian Alvarez to provide a breakthrough after the Argentine opened the scoring in three league fixtures in 2023/24.
Team News
Maguire’s form resurgence has come at the most opportune moment for Man Utd, with Ten Hag still deprived of the services of Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Tyrell Malacia are also out injured, while Jadon Sancho remains on the sidelines after being frozen out of the squad due to his fallout with the manager.
Man City welcomed Rodri back from a three-match suspension against Brighton last time out, which leaves Kevin De Bruyne as the only high-profile absentee in the visiting camp.
Manchester United potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Andre Onana; Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, Sergio Reguilon; Casemiro, Scott McTominay; Christian Eriksen, Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes; Rasmus Hojlund.
Manchester City potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Ederson; Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol; Rodri, Mateo Kovacic; Bernardo Silva, Julian Alvarez, Jeremy Doku; Erling Haaland.
