Manchester City could potentially lift the Premier League title with victory in Saturday’s home game against local rivals Manchester United at the Etihad. If they do achieve this feat, it’ll go down as one of the Premier League’s defining moments and will draw comparisons with Arsenal’s title triumph away at White Hart Lane back in 2003/04.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side have swept all in front of them this season except for Liverpool. City succumbed to a humiliating 3-0 defeat to the Reds in their Champions League quarter final in midweek, while they also lost to Jurgen Klopp’s side in a thrilling 4-3 tie back in January. With the local derby combined with a potential Premier League title win, sandwiched between a Champions League quarter final, Guardiola could opt to rest a number of his front-line stars for Saturday’s game.
On the other hand, Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United side are second in the Premier League, but 16 points behind neighbours City. They’ve only got the FA Cup left to compete for this season, after a disappointing exit in the Champions League, but they’ll be eager to spoil City’s party. Their record in derby games of late has been dismal though and they’ve struggled ever since losing 6-1 at Old Trafford back in 2011.
Manchester City vs. Manchester United Predictions
Jose Mourinho is a specialist in setting his side up to defend in big away games, as well as spoiling parties, but it’s almost as if he’s got to set his side up to attack here. He’ll be looking to build a side for next year and victory away at City would be the perfect marker for his side to build upon. However, I can’t see United keeping City quiet for this game and you’d expect a home win to be a formality.
Manchester City vs. Manchester United Betting Tips
Head to Head
- Victory for Manchester City will see them be crowned English top-flight champions for the fifth time, and third time in the Premier League.
- Should the Citizens win the title here, they’ll have done so with more games to spare than any side in English top-flight history.
- Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola could become the third manager to win the title in England and at least two of the other big five European leagues, after Carlo Ancelotti (3) and Jose Mourinho (2).
- Manchester City have done the double three times over Manchester United in the Premier League, only Liverpool have done so more often in the competition (4).
- Manchester United have lost eight of their last 13 Premier League games against Man City (W3 D2), their eight previous top-flight defeats against Manchester City came over a 49-game period stretching back to March 1978.
- However, the Red Devils are unbeaten in their last two league visits to the Etihad (W1 D1), keeping a clean sheet each time.
- Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 27 home league games (W22 D5), winning the last 14 in a row. Only twice has a team ever had a longer winning run at home in the Premier League (Man City 20 between March 2011 and March 2012, and Man United between October 2010 and October 2011).
- Manchester United have won each of their last four Premier League games. They last won more consecutively back in January 2017 (6).
- The Red Devils have won only one of their last 10 away league games against fellow “big six” sides (D3 L6), failing to score on eight occasions in that run.
- Manchester City have won 27 league games so far this season. Their record for most wins in a single top-flight season is 28 in 2011/12. They had to wait until matchday 38 for their 28th and final win that season.
- This will be the 21st managerial meeting between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, the most either manager has faced another. Guardiola has won nine of the previous 20 meetings (D7 L4), the most defeats Mourinho has suffered against another manager in his career.
- Sergio Aguero has scored six goals in his last six Premier League appearances against Manchester United, but has failed to score in either of his last two.
- David Silva has been directly involved in six goals in his 11 Premier League games against Man United (3 goals, 3 assists), but just one of these has been at the Etihad (assist in April 2012).
- Romelu Lukaku has scored in each of his last three games for Manchester United in all competitions. He last scored in more consecutively back in September (six in a row).
Manchester City Team News
Sergio Aguero and Benjamin Mendy are the only absentees as City look to win the title against their rivals. However, Aguero could play a role as Guardiola might rotate ahead of next week’s reverse leg against Liverpool in the Champions League.
Probable Manchester City XI: Ederson Moraes, Nicolas Otamendi, Vincent Kompany, Danilo, Kyle Walker, Kevin de Bruyne, Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus
Manchester United Team News
Manchester United also have few injury absentees, with Phil Jones close to a return from a thigh injury. Apart from him, Sergio Romero and Daley Blind are out with knee and ankle injuries respectively.
Probable Manchester United XI: David De Gea, Antonio Valencia, Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly, Ashley Young, Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Alexis Sanchez, Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford, Romelu Lukaku
Words by @dominictrant