Manchester City vs Manchester United Preview

Manchester City and Manchester United will square up at the Etihad Stadium this Sunday for the 192nd competitive meeting between both sides.

Man City come into this huge clash with their arch-rivals as strong favourites as they chase down an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League trophy. An emphatic 6-2 victory over Luton Town in the FA Cup midweek saw dynamic duo Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne combine for four goals and sent a stark warning to the rest of the Premier League that City won’t relinquish their title without a fight.

That result also extended City’s unbeaten run to 18 games across all competitions (W16, D2). However, despite that run, Pep Guardiola’s men are still not at the top of the league table as they remain a point adrift of league leaders Liverpool ahead of the round.

Yet, there’ll be no panic at the Etihad Stadium ahead of United’s visit, especially as City are unbeaten on home soil since November 2022 (W30, D5). And while the visit of Man United always creates a unique atmosphere around these parts, the Cityzens have bossed this fixture in recent years, winning five of the last six derbies (L1).

Meanwhile, Manchester United travel to the Etihad in good form having won six of their last seven competitive games (L1). However, their only loss in that period came in their last Premier League outing as they were beaten at home by Fulham.

They have not been helped by a lengthy injury list, particularly in defence. This, combined with the fact they’ve conceded ten goals on their last two trips to the Etihad will have the visiting fans worried.

While they have become accustomed to entering the derby as big underdogs, defeat here could be fatal in their hunt of the top four. So they will be desperate to avoid another loss and extend their winning run away from home to seven games, having won their last six successive away games across all competitions – their longest such run in five years.

Other fixtures taking place this week in the Premier League Fixtures:

Premier League Table