On Sunday, September 14, all eyes will be on the Etihad Stadium for the highly anticipated derby between Manchester City and Manchester United, valid for Matchday 4 of the Premier League. Somewhat unexpectedly, the standings currently see the Red Devils ahead, with four points collected in the first three rounds, while the Citizens are chasing on three. Pep Guardiola’s side comes from two consecutive setbacks and will do everything possible to win this Manchester Derby, avoiding falling further behind Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and United themselves. This is a delicate league fixture that also comes right before another key date for the Citizens: their Champions League debut on Thursday, September 18 against Napoli. Manchester United, on the other hand, are coming off two positive results in a row which, considering last season’s struggles, already counts as big news. Ruben Amorim’s team, out of European competitions, is aiming to extend their unbeaten run to get closer to the pack fighting for a place in next season’s Champions League. Given the defensive issues of the Sky Blues, who reacted by signing Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain, it wouldn’t be surprising if Bruno Fernandes and his teammates managed to replicate last December’s feat, when they won 2-1 at the Etihad in the Premier League Matchday 16 clash. With both teams desperately in need of a win, all the ingredients are in place for a must-watch Manchester Derby.

Manchester City's recent form and key stats

Manchester City are coming from two consecutive league defeats, the latest just before the international break against Brighton. Guardiola’s men fell at the American Express Stadium 2-1, after initially taking the lead in the 34th minute with the usual Erling Haaland goal.

In their first three Premier League matches, City (13th with 3 points) scored a total of 5 goals, with the Norwegian striker netting 3 of them. The concerning figure for Guardiola, however, is that four of those five goals came in the season opener against Wolves, while only one was scored across the last two games.

Defensively, the Citizens have struggled badly in their last outings, also due to the absence of Ederson, later sold to Turkey, and Trafford’s underwhelming performances. This is why against United we should expect the debut of Gianluigi Donnarumma, signed in the final hours of the transfer window from PSG.

Manchester United's recent form and key stats

After a shocking start, capped by elimination from the EFL Cup at the hands of Grimsby, Manchester United bounced back before the break by defeating newly promoted Burnley 3-2 at Old Trafford. Thanks to that win, the Red Devils climbed up to 9th place with 4 points, the result of one win, one draw, and one loss.

Offensively, United have scored 4 goals so far, with new signing Bryan Mbeumo already on the scoresheet twice since joining. Disappointing so far, however, are fellow newcomers Cunha and Sesko, still goalless after the first four matches of the season. The Manchester Derby could well be the occasion for one of them to break the ice.

Defensively, Ruben Amorim’s men are showing the same frailties as last season, conceding an average of 1.33 goals per match in the Premier League. Hardly surprising, since the board spent heavily on attacking reinforcements in the summer, while almost ignoring the defensive department.

Manchester City vs Manchester United prediction and tactical overview

The Manchester Derby promises to be a very balanced and hard-fought match, full of excitement. For this reason, BetMines’ prediction is for both teams to score at least once.

Except for the 0-0 draw last April, whenever these two teams meet the result is usually a match full of goals and drama. In fact, 8 of the last 10 Manchester Derbies ended with over 2 goals and with both sides finding the net.

It is worth noting that both Guardiola and Amorim have to deal with several absences, but their squads are still deep enough to cover. Offensively, City will be missing Marmoush and Cherki, while United must monitor the fitness of Cunha, not yet at his best.

Despite these setbacks, Guardiola can rely on Haaland’s incredible form, fresh off scoring 5 goals for Norway against Moldova, while Amorim will count on Sesko’s hunger to make his mark in such a crucial game for the fans.

• Manchester City vs Manchester United prediction by BetMines: both teams to score with 57% probability
  
  
• Manchester City vs Manchester United prediction by BetMines: at least one team fails to score with 43% probability

Probable lineups Manchester City vs Manchester United

MANCHESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Stones, Dias, Nouri; Silva, Rodri, Reijnders; Bobb, Haaland, Doku. Coach: Pep Guardiola

MANCHESTER UNITED (3-4-2-1): Bayindir; Yoro, de Ligt, Shaw; Diallo, Casemiro, Mainoo, Dorgu; Mbeumo, B. Fernandes; Sesko. Coach: Ruben Amorim