Manchester City versus Manchester United

Raphael Varane is about to make his Manchester derby debut. Injuries ruled out the United defender from both of last season’s meetings

TEAM NEWS

Manchester City defender John Stones is unavailable after being forced off to England with a hamstring problem.

Fellow centre-back Aymeric Laporte has returned to training but this game is expected to come too soon for him.

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire is out with a hamstring injury sustained on international duty.

Manager Erik ten Hag will make a late call to Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, both of whom have resumed training.

SUTTON’S PREDICTION

For all the positivity about Manchester United’s progress under Erik ten Hag, they play against Manchester City – the best team in the country and by far the best team in Manchester.

We saw Arsenal create chances against United in their last league game but didn’t take them.

If City are playing anywhere near as well as they can, they will do the same – and they won’t miss a thing.

United could give them problems on the counter but a more likely scenario is that they get pumped.

Forecast: 4-1

Chris Sutton’s Full Predictions vs Sports Team Drummer Al Greenwood.

The last player to score up to three hat-tricks at home in a single season was Sergio Aguero in 2018/19

MATCH FACTS

head to head

• Manchester City have won three consecutive league games against United for the first time in a four-game streak between April 2013 and November 2014.
• United are in danger of suffering their 18th Premier League defeat against City – which would equate to the highest number of defeats against any given opponent (equivalent to their totals against Liverpool and Chelsea).
• 21 times this Premier League game has been won by the respective away team – no other game has brought more wins for the away team.

Manchester City

• Manchester City have won eight consecutive home games in the top flight, scoring at least three goals in each win – a feat Tottenham last matched in 1965.
• City have scored 10 first-half goals and 13 second-half goals in the Premier League this season – Manchester United have eight in total.
• Erling Haaland has scored 100 goals in 99 club games in all competitions, including 12 goals in seven games for City. He has scored in each of his last six shots on goal in the Premier League at the Etihad.
• Kevin de Bruyne has registered six assists and 25 created chances, both tops in the league. He has been directly involved in 30 goals, scoring 16 and providing 14 assists in his last 30 starts in the Premier League.
• Pep Guardiola has lost three out of four Premier League games against the Red Devils at Etihad Stadium. They are the only opponent against whom he has lost more than two top-flight home games as a manager.
• Ruben Dias is one of less than 100 City appearances.

Manchester United

• Manchester United could become the fourth team in English Premier League history to lose their first two games and then win the next five, emulating Sheffield United (1931), West Bromwich Albion (1954) and Arsenal (2018).
• United last won five straight league games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in April 2021.
• This will be Erik ten Hag’s first Manchester derby – each of United’s five previous managers have lost their opener against City, with Alex Ferguson being the last to start with a win in 1987.
• Ten Hag won eight of his nine league and cup games as Ajax coach against historic rivals Feyenoord – a game known in the Netherlands as De Klassieker.
• The Red Devils have conceded a league-high percentage of 75% of their goals conceded in the first 45 minutes this season.
• Cristiano Ronaldo has made five consecutive league appearances as a substitute in his breakthrough season at Sporting Lisbon for the first time since 2003.
• The forward has scored 699 club goals in his career in all competitions, including 497 in the league, and has netted four goals and two red cards in 12 Manchester derbies.
• Christian Eriksen is missing just one in 400 career league games.

Predict Manchester City’s starting XI for the next game – remember you can change the line-up!

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Predict Manchester United starting XI for the next game – remember you can change the line-up!

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