Manchester United and Manchester City will lock horns in a crucial Manchester Derby at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Gameweek 10 of the 2023/24 Premier League season will culminate with a blockbuster clash. Manchester United and Manchester City will go head to head in the first Manchester Derby of the campaign when they lock horns at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
To say that Manchester United have been sub-par thus far this term would be an understatement. The Red Devils have not produced a convincing performance in any Premier League or UEFA Champions League fixture. So, it is hardly surprising that they find themselves in the eighth spot in the league standings, well behind the front-runners in the competition.
As for Manchester City, the Citizens have been uncharacteristically underwhelming in the Premier League. While they remain in the upper echelons of the top flight, they have already lost two games, one of them to Wolverhampton Wanderers. But Pep Guardiola’s men have been flying high in the UEFA Champions League, beating BSC Young Boys 3-1 earlier this week.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Manchester United coming from a goal down to beat Manchester City 2-1, with Bruno Fernandes scoring the match-winner. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
🗣 "Yes Aaron was training today."
Erik ten Hag confirms Aaron Wan-Bissaka is back on the training ground ✅ pic.twitter.com/yYIIslwUe2
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 27, 2023
Erik ten Hag greeted positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Manchester City on Sunday, the Manchester United manager might be without only five first-team players.
The good news is that Casemiro (ankle) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (hamstring) will be in contention to feature against Manchester City. But the duo faces late fitness tests to determine their availability for this weekend’s Manchester Derby.
Meanwhile, Lisandro Martinez (foot), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Luke Shaw (muscle injury), and Amad Diallo (knee) remain in the treatment room. In addition, Jadon Sancho continues to serve an internal suspension due to his bust-up with ten Hag.
The Dutchman will have several critical decisions on his hands ahead of the Manchester Derby. These include starting Casemiro, who has looked dreadful thus far this term, and the choice between Mason Mount and Antony for the offensive unit.
Andre Onana, fresh off a match-winning performance against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League, will retain his spot between the sticks. Manchester United will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him.
Wan-Bissaka will start as the right-back to counter Jeremy Doku’s pacy outlet if he passes his fitness test. The former Crystal Palace defender will join Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire (another top-class performer this week), and Sergio Reguilon in the defensive unit.
Casemiro, who has been the subject of speculation in the last few weeks, should start if he passes his fitness test. The Brazilian international will accompany Sofyan Amrabat in the double pivot in the middle of the park. Meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes will reprise the no. 10 role, with Antony, Marcus Rashford, and Rasmus Hojlund completing the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Maguire, Reguilon; Casemiro, Amrabat; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund
Manchester City
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Pep Guardiola has a new roster issue hampering his preparations ahead of the short trip to Old Trafford. The Manchester City manager will be without two first-team players on Sunday.
Manuel Akanji is the latest absentee, with the Swiss international serving a one-match suspension after seeing red against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend. Meanwhile, Kevin De Bruyne remains on the sidelines due to his long-term hamstring injury.
Ederson Moraes is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester City lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. Kyle Walker has been the first-choice right-back for the away side this season. But Guardiola tends to shift things in big games.
🗣 "It's okay, It's a good rivalry. It's respected."
Pep Guardiola on the rivalry between Man City and Man Utd pic.twitter.com/vQyrFO9SgY
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 27, 2023
So, John Stones should feature on the right flank, with Nathan Ake joining Ruben Dias in the central defensive unit. Josko Gvardiol should complete the quartet of centre-backs manning the backline. The four players will enable the attackers to express themselves freely in the final third.
Rodri will also join the waves of attacks from Manchester City, with the four centre-backs giving him the freedom to charge forward. The Spaniard’s long-range efforts and defence-splitting passes will come take the spotlight this weekend.
Bernardo Silva will have a free role in the final third, with the Portuguese international pulling the strings. So, Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland can spam the Manchester United box looking for deliveries from the two wide attackers — Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Stones, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Rodri, Silva; Foden, Alvarez, Doku; Haaland
Key Stats
- Manchester United will aim to win consecutive home league games against Manchester City for the first time since a run of three between 2008/09 and 2010/11. City’s eight Premier League away wins are the most by any side in the competition at Old Trafford.
- After just four wins in their opening 10 matches in all competitions, Manchester United have won their last three.
- Manchester United have led for just 98 minutes in the top flight this term. Only Sheffield United, Luton Town, and Bournemouth have lower totals before the latest round of fixtures.
- A third consecutive away league defeat would equal Manchester City’s longest losing streak on the road under Pep Guardiola, which came between March and July 2020 (at Manchester United, Chelsea and Southampton). Meanwhile, the reigning champions are aiming to avoid going seven games without a clean sheet for the first time since a run of 10 from October to December 2019.
- Pep Guardiola’s four Premier League wins at Old Trafford are the most by a visiting manager. Since Guardiola joined City in 2016, they have earned 142 more points than Manchester United (646 to 504), winning 59 more league games (204 to 145) and scored 226 more goals (678 to 452).
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland took the Premier League by storm after arriving from Borussia Dortmund. So, it was hardly surprising that he won the Premier League Golden Boot this term. But his performance level has dropped in the first two months of the 2023/24 campaign.
While he remains perched atop the goalscoring charts in the Premier League, he is not running away with the Golden Boot race. In addition, the Norwegian international does not always show up for the big games. So, he will be eager to kill two birds with one stone when Manchester City and Manchester United clash.
Prediction
Manchester United 1-4 Manchester City
Manchester United and Manchester City have been disappointing by their respective standards this season. But the gulf in quality between the two sides has widened in the first two months of the 2023/24 campaign. While on paper, there is not much to separate the teams, the performance levels have a drastic difference.
Manchester United have won 16 of the last 17 matches in league and cup that Harry Maguire has started. But Manchester City will add a second strike in the loss counter, with the home side likely being listless in the final third for large parts. The Hard Tackle predicts the visitors to run away with the game, cruising to a 4-1 win over the Red Devils.