By Frank Kamuntu
Manchester United host Manchester City at Old Trafford on Super Sunday in what is the 191st Manchester derby; Make sure you’re not caught out by the earlier-than-usual kick-off time of 3.30pm.
Manchester United’s Casemiro faces a fitness test on the injury that caused him to miss their last two fixtures.
The Reds are still without Amad Diallo, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Jadon Sancho and Luke Shaw, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka is back in training.
Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji is suspended for this match following his red card against Brighton.
Kevin de Bruyne is the only confirmed absentee from manager Pep Guardiola’s squad.
Match Facts
Head-to-head
- The 190th Manchester derby comes just 147 days after Manchester City were triumphant over their arch-rivals in the FA Cup final.
- Manchester United are aiming to win consecutive home league games against City for the first time since a run of three between 2008-09 and 2010-11.
- City’s eight Premier League away wins is the most by any side in the competition at Old Trafford.
- However, their only victory in their last four league visits to United was a 2-0 win in November 2021.
Manchester United
- After just four wins in their opening 10 matches in all competitions, Erik Ten Hag’s side have won their last three.
- They are aiming to avoid losing at least five of their opening 10 games of a league campaign for the first time since the 1986-87 season.
- The Red Devils have led for just 98 minutes in the top flight this term. Only Sheffield United, Luton and Bournemouth have lower totals prior to the latest round of fixtures.
- They have gone 21 matches in all competitions without a draw since being held 2-2 at Tottenham in April.
- United have won 16 of the last 17 matches in league and cup that Harry Maguire has started.
Manchester City
- A third consecutive away league defeat would equal their longest losing streak on the road under Pep Guardiola, set between March and July 2020 (at Manchester United, Chelsea and Southampton).
- They 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.
- Guardiola’s four Premier League wins at Old Trafford is the most by a visiting manager.
- Of all managers to have faced the Red Devils at least 10 times in the Premier League, Guardiola is the only one to have won at least half of his games against them, claiming seven wins from 14.
- Since Guardiola joined City in 2016, they have earned 142 more points than Man Utd (646 to 504), winning 59 more league games (204 to 145) and scored 226 more goals (678 to 452).
- City are unbeaten in each of the 37 fixtures Rodri has played in since a 1-0 league defeat at Spurs in February 2023.
Manchester United Starting XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Lindelof, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Eriksen, Fernandes, Sancho; Rashford.
Substitutes: Butland, Dalot, Maguire, Malacia, McTominay, Pellistri, Elanga, Garnacho, Weghorst.
Manchester City: Starting XI: Ortega Moreno, Walker, Stones, Dias, Akanji, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Gundogan (C), Bernardo, Grealish, Haaland.
Substitutes: Ederson, Phillips, Ake, Laporte, Alvarez, Mahrez, Foden, Palmer, Lewis.
