Match Preview for Manchester United v Manchester City
Manchester United host Manchester City at Old Trafford on Saturday in the 198th Manchester derby, with Michael Carrick set for a daunting first test as interim head coach.
The Red Devils moved quickly to appoint Carrick following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim, handing the former club captain the reins until the end of the season. This will be Carrick’s second spell in temporary charge at Old Trafford, having overseen a three-match unbeaten run in late 2021.
Carrick inherits a United side sitting seventh in the Premier League table, just three points off the top four, despite managing only one win in their last six league matches.
United were comfortably beaten 3-0 by City in the reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium in September and have struggled for goals against their rivals in recent home meetings, failing to score in four of the last five Premier League derbies at Old Trafford.
Manchester City arrive in strong form after responding to a run of league draws. Pep Guardiola’s side thrashed Exeter City 10-1 in the FA Cup before claiming a 2-0 away win over Newcastle United in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg.
January signing Antoine Semenyo has made an immediate impact since joining from Bournemouth, while City remain unbeaten in 13 matches across all competitions.
Team news for Manchester United v Manchester City
Manchester United remain without Noussair Mazraoui, who is away on AFCON duty, while Matthijs de Ligt is sidelined with a back injury. Teenage forward Shea Lacey is suspended following his red card in last weekend’s FA Cup defeat.
Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo are available again after their early exits from AFCON, with Mbeumo expected to feature prominently after establishing himself as United’s leading scorer this season.
Carrick is likely to deploy a back four and must decide between Luke Shaw and Patrick Dorgu at left-back, while Kobbie Mainoo is pushing to start his first Premier League match of the campaign.
Manchester City are dealing with a lengthy injury list that includes Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Oscar Bobb and Savinho. Omar Marmoush remains unavailable due to AFCON involvement with Egypt.
Semenyo is expected to retain his place in attack, while Rayan Cherki could be recalled after scoring in midweek. Erling Haaland is set to lead the line, having been directly involved in more Premier League goals against Manchester United than any other City player.
Expected line-ups for Manchester United v Manchester City
Manchester United: Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko
Manchester City: Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Alleyne, O’Reilly; Rodri; Bernardo, Cherki, Foden, Semenyo; Haaland
How to watch Manchester United v Manchester City: TV channel, online stream
The match starts at 12:30 GMT / 07:30 ET / 04:30 PT on Saturday and is being shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra.
Via Now TV, Sky Sports costs £14.99 for a day membership, £26 a month for a six-month membership or £34.99 a month with no contract.
Sky Sports memberships include access to all 12 live Sky Sports channels and Sky Sports+, which offers live streams and a dedicated channel.
Fans can watch online and on the move with the SkyGO app, which is available on a vast range of devices including smart TVs, gaming consoles, set-top boxes and mobile devices.
The stats for Manchester United v Manchester City
- This is the 198th Manchester derby in all competitions
- Manchester United have failed to score in four of their last five Premier League home games against City
- Manchester City have won nine Premier League away matches at Old Trafford, more than any other visiting team
- City are unbeaten in 13 matches across all competitions
- United lost the reverse fixture 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium in September
Prediction
Manchester United
1
–
3
Manchester City
An upwards bounce under Michael Carrick is possible, but Manchester City’s attacking depth and recent momentum should prove a bit too much here.
City’s quality in the final third is expected to tell as Guardiola’s side secure the points and derby bragging rights at Old Trafford.