The first Manchester derby of the season arrives this Sunday as Manchester City host their local neighbours Manchester United in the Premier League.
A staple of the English football calendar, it’s a fixture which sees form fly out of the window—not that either club enter the clash brimming with confidence. Even during the gloom of the past decade for United, the Manchester derby has remained fiercely competitive for the most part.
City will undoubtedly be the favourites for this iteration of the historic rivalry but their recent results leave much to be desired. Back-to-back defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion have left Pep Guardiola scratching his head, desperately hoping his side turn the corner sooner rather than later.
Could United take advantage of uncertainty at the Etihad Stadium? Well, it’s certainly possible, especially given they conquered City on the road in Ruben Amorim’s first derby last season. But the Red Devils have been beaten by Arsenal and Grimsby Town already this season and only narrowly scraped past Burnley before the September international break.
Expectations must be tempered for both sides heading into Sunday’s fierce battle in Manchester.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the clash at the Etihad.
What Time Does Man City vs. Man Utd Kick-Off?
- Location: Manchester, England
- Stadium: Etihad Stadium
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 14
- Kick-off Time: 4.30 p.m. BST / 11.30 a.m. ET / 8.30 a.m. PT
- Referee: Anthony Taylor
- VAR: John Brooks
Man City vs. Man Utd Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Man City: 2 wins
- Man Utd: 2 wins
- Draws: 1
- Last meeting: Man Utd 0–0 Man City (April 6, 2025) - Premier League
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Man City vs. Man Utd on TV
Man City Team News
Guardiola has confirmed that Omar Marmoush will be absent for the derby after sustaining an injury on international duty with Egypt. He’s set for “a few weeks” on the sidelines and joins Mateo Kovačić, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Aït-Nouri in the treatment room.
Guardiola has also revealed that John Stones is a doubt for Sunday after withdrawing from England duty, but has insisted the rest of his squad is available. That means Phil Foden, Joško Gvardiol, Abdukodir Khusanov and Savinho should all make their returns after fitness issues.
Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly both withdrew from England’s Under-21s squad over the international period but both academy graduates are fit for United’s visit.
It remains to be seen whether new signing Gianluigi Donnarumma comes immediately into the starting lineup, with Guardiola insisting he’s not yet sure if the Italian will replace James Trafford in the XI.
Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Man Utd
Man City predicted lineup vs. Man Utd (4-1-4-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Aké, Gvardiol; Rodri; Bobb, Silva, Reijnders, Doku; Haaland.
Man Utd Team News
Amorim has issued an injury update on Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount and Diogo Dalot, revealing that the trio will be missing for the derby. They join long-term absentee Lisandro Martínez on the sidelines and leave the Portuguese head coach with several selection headaches.
One thing that is clear for Amorim is his starting goalkeeper on Sunday. André Onana’s departure means Altay Bayındır will start again, with the United boss insisting that he will show faith in the Türkiye international despite the recent arrival of Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp.
Bruno Fernandes is likely to play in a more advanced position to replace Cunha’s creativity, while Benjamin Šeško should be handed his first Premier League start. Kobbie Mainoo and Noussair Mazraoui could also come into the team.
Man Utd Predicted Lineup vs. Man City
Man Utd predicted lineup vs. Man City (3-4-2-1): Bayındır; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Mazraoui, Casemiro, Mainoo, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Fernandes; Šeško.
Man City vs. Man Utd Score Prediction
City have entered the majority of Manchester derbies as favourites over recent years but that doesn’t guarantee them victory this weekend. They have lost two of their last four meetings with the Red Devils, including a dramatic late defeat at the Etihad last term.
United have been better than their results suggest during the opening weeks of the season, showing shoots of improvement under Amorim. They have a long, long way to go, but could cause issues for a City defence that has looked worryingly porous.
It’s always difficult to predict the outcome on derby day and given the start both sides have made to the season, they might be happy to share the points.
Prediction: Man City 2–2 Man Utd
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man City vs. Man Utd: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.