Manchester City play host to their crosstown rivals at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday with Pep Guardiola’s side aiming to win three straight derby matches against Manchester United, a feat they have not achieved in eight years. They go into the game as strong favorites after a bright season but they will be well aware of the recent upswing of form in the red half of Manchester, where counterattacking displays earned United victories over Liverpool and Arsenal.
Another against City would be an almighty fillip for Erik ten Hag in the early days of his tenure but this will be quite the test. They may not be topping the table but Erling Haaland and company look like being the Premier League’s most dominant side this season. Can they keep it up in the derby? We’ll be bringing you all the action, analysis and talking points below:
See New Posts
Pinned
How the first half went for the away side
Pinned
And make that a brace for Foden
Haaland assists this one as Foden runs into the box for a poachers finish. It’s 4-0 before the half as things couldn’t be going any worse for ten Hag.
Pinned
It’s not all good for City though
Kyle Walker will leave the match with an injury being replaced by Sergio Gomez. With Guardiola already having a bench short on defensive reinforcements, another injury isn’t something that was needed today.
Pinned
Just over three between the first and second goal
Pinned
Aaah…
I had just begun forming an idea about a post on why getting that second goal conceded might not be the worst news for United as we’ve so often seen City drop down a few gears and cruise to victory. But then that goal there looked like the hosts testing themselves, trying to score the most extravagant goal they can. That wasn’t a bad effort!
Pinned
Blink and you just might miss it, 3-0 City
It’s Haaland again as he has a brace. These yellows have made a difference as Jack Grealish had all the space in the world to set that up and Varane couldn’t keep up to keep Haaland from scoring.
Pinned
His first derby goal
It was barely over the line but Erling Haaland has put Manchester City ahead 2-0. United tried to block the shot from inside De Gea’s net but it wasn’t enough. Only 35 minutes in but it feels like this match could be over.
Pinned
Struggling Sancho
The winger is one of many players who is just finding the on ball pressure coming from City to be too much to bear. He is trying, unsuccessfully, to thread the needles and get United into positions where they can attack but when he does so he often ends up handing possession to the opposition in the heart of the pitch.
Pinned
Add Malacia to the book
Another United giveaway leads to another chance for City. Malacia comments a foul to make sure it didn’t end in a goal but Manchester United now have both fullbacks on yellow cards, they could be down to ten before the half.
Pinned
Can’t come much closer to scoring than that!
Gundogan was overtop of a free kick for Manchester City and rattles De Gea’s post. It’s a game of inches but United again can consider themselves lucky that City aren’t ahead 3-0 within 20 minutes.
Pinned
Luke Shaw is warming up already
Could Erik ten Hag be looking to make an early sub in the match? Considering Dalot’s early yellow and United’s inability to contain Manchester City within the first 15 minutes, changes could be coming before this match gets out of hand.
Pinned
City make the hard things look easy
Pinned
It was coming, 1-0 Manchester City
There goes Phil Foden following a cross from Bernardo Silva. What a hit from the English star. He goes with a front-post run and curls a ball past defender Raphael Varane and into the net. De Gea had no chance. Not sure where the United defense was but this could get ugly quickly.
Pinned
Like a cheap suit
City are all over United, a flurry of early chances as first De Gea then the all action McTominay deny De Bruyne and Silva on the goal line. There was plenty of talk beforehand about the pressure that would be on the City defense but for United to actually exert any they need to have the ball. That looks a pretty unlikely prospect so far.
Pinned
How did that stay out of the net?
It’s Grealish again creating chances as Haaland’s header went across the face of goal finding no one. United can consider themselves lucky that the match is still level but they’re dropping too deep already giving City too much room to work with.
Pinned
Didn’t take long for the first yellow card
Inside two minutes Diogo Dalot has been carded for upending Jack Grealish. Looking to prevent this derby from getting out of hand early it seems but that yellow could loom large with Grealish’s threat on the dribble.
Pinned
Five minutes until kickoff
Manchester City need points to keep pace with Arsenal atop the league while Manchester United want a victory in a massive derby match.
Pinned
Pinned
The plan for Manchester United
City’s lineup will leave them susceptible to counter attacking soccer if Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes can link play with the front three during the match. Marcus Rashford being fit enough to start is critical for Erik ten Hag because, without him, Ronaldo wouldn’t have the speed atop the line to make City pay on the break but how United will stop Erling Haaland will be the biggest question today. Already taking the league by storm scoring in seven consecutive matches for Manchester City, Haaland has an astonishing 14 goals in 10 appearances. Can Martinez and Varane stop him from hitting 15?
Pinned
Rodri’s absence could loom large
Missing the match with a calf issue, this will see Ilkay Gundogan deputize as a defensive midfielder. While it’s a job that he can do, it also detracts from his late runs into the box which help City immensely. Protecting a defense of Ake and Akanji will be quite the job as Manchester United will attack the trio during the match.
Pinned
Teams in full
Man City XI: Ederson; Walker, Ake, Akanji, Cancelo; Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo; Foden, Haaland, Grealish
Subs: Ortega, Carson, Dias, Laporte, Alvarez, Gomez, Mahrez, Palmer, Lewis
Man Utd XI: De Gea; Dalot, Martinez, Varane, Malacia; McTominay, Eriksen; Antony, Fernandes, Sancho; Rashford.
Subs: Heaton, Lindelof, Ronaldo, Martial, Fred, Casemiro, Shaw, Pellistri, Elanga.
Pinned
As Ten Hag welcomes the fit again Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial into his side he might still wonder what might have been if he had stayed at Ajax a while longer. After all the Dutchman was often linked with City as a possible successor for Guardiola, something the man himself has acknowledged to be the case.
That ship has sailed for Ten Hag, however, who has taken on the far greater task of reviving Manchester’s fallen giant. “That’s a nice compliment, first,” he said when he was told that Guardiola had spoken of him as a possible option in April. “But I choose, 100 percent convinced, Manchester United, with everything in it. I didn’t regret it for one second.” Whether that will still be true after 90 minutes against City, only Ten Hag will know.
Pinned
How to watch and odds
Date: Sunday, Oct. 2 | Time: 9:00 a.m. ET
Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, United Kingdom
TV/Live stream: Peacock Premium
Odds: Manchester City -300; Draw +450; Manchester United +700 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Pinned
On a weekend of derby games perhaps the highest stake encounter comes on Sunday as Manchester City welcome a somewhat resurgent Manchester United to the Etihad Stadium. Scarcely more than a month ago the talk was of crisis at Old Trafford but that has firmly abated after a four game winning streak for Erik ten Hag’s side, including victories against rivals Liverpool and Arsenal.
City will surely pose the stiffest test yet for United, they may not be top of the table but Pep Guardiola’s side look to be runaway favorites for the Premier League crown with Erling Haaland shaped up to the best player in England. No stage has fazed him so far and he will surely relish the chance to make his mark on one of England’s biggest games.
