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The Etihad Stadium hosts a huge Manchester derby when United visits the treble winners for another Premier League showdown. Here is a preview.
Title-chasing Man City are up against a Red Devils side who are hoping to find a way into the European spots as they currently sit three points behind sixth position. The Sky Blues are back in the Premier League title race on their quest for a fourth consecutive triumph.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland struck twice in a 3-0 thrashing during the reverse fixture at Old Trafford to extend United’s losing run to six of the last eight derbies, including in last season’s FA Cup final.
Pep Guardiola’s charges are as strong as ever following a spectacular 2023 that saw them lift all five major trophies. With the return of key players from injury, City has their sights set on reclaiming the top spot while they face Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
The Premier League winners breezed past the likes of Burnley, Newcastle, Sheffield United, and Fulham in their first four matches displaying their immaculate control and game management.
The first international break did not slow them down as they returned with a bang against West Ham United, beating them 3-1 and then seeing off Nottingham Forest 2-0 despite losing influential midfielder Rodri to a red card.
A midweek cup defeat to Newcastle was seen as a blip but it manifested into something greater when Man City lost 2-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Then, the top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal was decided by Gabriel Martinelli’s deflected shot at the Emirates Stadium.
That loss to the Gunners was particularly catastrophic as they lost ground at the top of the table but then responded in typical fashion with wins over Brighton, Manchester United, and Bournemouth before drawing 4-4 with Chelsea after one of the most epic games of the season.
More points were dropped in successive league games against Liverpool, Tottenham, and Aston Villa but they beat Luton and drew Crystal Palace before traveling to Saudi Arabia for the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Mancunians have regained lost ground since that triumph in the desert with successive league wins over Everton, Sheffield United, Huddersfield (FA Cup), and Newcastle, leaving them within five points of league leaders Liverpool. After being helped by rivals dropping points, City still have a game in hand and are yet to hit top gear this season.
By the time they face United in March, the Mancunians could well be on a winning streak which worsens the visitors’ prospects.
It has been an eventful campaign so far for the Red Devils with several injuries to key players, personal issues within the dressing room, poor form on the pitch as well as upheaval behind the scenes. Despite lifting the Carabao Cup in 2023, things turned sour in the second half of the year with the Red Devils failing to evolve as a team under Erik ten Hag.
It has already been a record-breaking start to 2023-24 for all the wrong reasons as results in the league and particularly in the UEFA Champions League were unbecoming of a Man United team.
Three defeats and two wins from the first five games set an alarming precedent for what was to come for the Mancunians. A win and another loss followed against Burnley and Crystal Palace until United found some form thanks to second-half winning strikes from Scott McTominay and Diogo Dalot against Brentford and Sheffield United respectively.
That short reprieve was followed by successive 3-0 defeats to Manchester City and Newcastle (Carabao Cup). Thereafter, United won the next three in the league against Fulham, Luton, and Everton although they couldn’t transfer that form to European competition.
Only three days after all but confirming their exit from the UCL group stage, the Red Devils fell to another defeat at Newcastle. A 2-1 win at home to Chelsea proved to be their last for the next four matches until a comeback win against Aston Villa in the final home game of 2023.
In keeping with their inconsistent performances, United were beaten 2-1 by Nottingham Forest. They advanced to the FA Cup fourth round after defeating Wigan and drew 2-2 against Tottenham.
Following the Premier League’s winter break, they must put together good results to salvage their season. There is a lot of improvement to be made to get a result away at City but Erik ten Hag’s men are capable of causing an upset.
This is surely going to be a gripping spectacle for all involved.
Match tickets
The match takes place at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, March 2 2024 with kick-off set for 3 PM UK time. Match tickets are available for sale on each club’s website but only club members will receive priority allocation.
Getting match tickets for non-season ticket holders is going to be complicated because the game will be sold out on official channels. This is a must-see game for both sets of supporters and regardless of the current form, it is almost always an epic encounter.
We advise away or neutral fans who want to attend the game to purchase their Manchester City vs Manchester United tickets on a resale site.
Team news
John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Ederson are the only Man City fitness doubts at the time of writing, but each of them is likely to be available for the derby.
United have suffered with injuries all season and the likes of Tyrell Malacia, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, and Harry Maguire are the names currently in the treatment room. Andre Onana and Sofyan Amrabat are on international duty and they should already be back before this game.
Line-ups
Guardiola would be fielding his strongest possible side as we are likely to see another tactical masterclass to leapfrog the challenge of their neighbors.
The choice of defenders would be key as the full-back combination must be cautious of United’s threat out wide.
Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Dias, Ake; Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Doku, Foden, Haaland
Rasmus Hojlund has finally found his scoring boots in the Premier League and he could be key against City who will dominate possession. The Norwegian’s combative presence could create scoring opportunities for his team which must harness his strengths.
Manchester United: Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Evans, Dalot; Mainoo, McTominay; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund
Prediction
City have their sights set on retaining their crown and they must be victorious in the home derby. The Red Devils, on the other hand, will be concerned about limiting the damage as the hosts could well be on their way to a fourth consecutive Premier League title.
United carries an obvious counterattacking threat but the City are built to deal with those situations, it really could go either way from a Ten Hag masterclass to a City rout. We’ll stick to the sensible choice though.
Man City 2-0 Man Utd
