We once again have a double feature this weekend, but it all kicks off in Manchester! Two teams needing all three points for their respective domestic quests means just one thing – unbridled excitement, passion, and commitment from every player on the pitch.
To Win Match
Man United 29/10 | Draw 14/5 | Man City 17/20
Manchester United
Erik ten Hag has truly begun to win over the United faithful, his tenure at the helm of Old Trafford has been tumultuous to say the least – but he has come out on top of every battle. The rocky start, the Ronaldo saga, the Glazer issue, they have all contributed in some way to show the man’s caliber.
United have been impressive of late, winning games with attacking flare and poise but also at times getting stuck in and grinding out a hard-fought marginal victory. They are now eight games unbeaten, and I suspect will be licking their lips to test themselves once again against the best in the league.
The last time these two faced off, City came away 6-3 winners. For me the takeaway there was what went into the preparation. Pundits, the media and even players had in various ways indicated the importance of United starting quickly, or the need to limit City early on…
This time around, the talk is more about two teams closer to each other in the league, United enjoying a crop of players who know how to win. A defensive partnership who has a strong and aggressive approach to their game and want to enact that and showcase that at every minute.
Of course, on the other side though you have arguably the best striker in the world now.
Predicted Line-up: De Gea, Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw, Casemiro, Eriksen, Antony, Fernandes, Garnacho, Rashford.
Manchester City
The biggest credit City boast – or indeed Pep Guardiola demands – is that in a season where they are second on the log, just five points off leaders Arsenal and not even halfway through the season, there is concern and an adjustment of how we view this team.
They are serial winners, with unrelenting ability, attacking options, defensive partnerships and midfield magic. They have some of the very best players in the world now and you would be a fool not to take them seriously.
City have scored 12 times in their last five games but have only managed to keep a solitary clean sheet. I would imagine that it is something United would target, but again the visitor’s defensive instability stands only in the shadow of their attacking brilliance.
Guardiola’s men have also had to battle and earn tough victories, but that is just a testament to the difficulty of the league. The Premier league is the most competitive league in the world, the gap between the best and the worst (on any given day) could be just a single goal and so to be competing at the summit says all you need to know about this fixture.
Predicted Lineup: Ederson, Stones, Cancelo, Ake, De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva, Alvarez, Mahrez, Haaland, Grealish.
Prediction: Both teams to score (5/8)
Now, now, before you accuse me of sitting on the fence – give me a second! Of course, City can win the game. However, at Old Trafford, United have been superb. They have made it a difficult place to play and will extract the very best from City should they want all three points.
City have shown they can go through a lull and but haven’t yet shown a defensive stability to give us confidence about the visitors. The attacking threat both sides have is unmatched for most of the league and I expect this to be end-to-end.
