For the first time in a decade, the Manchester derby was without Guardiola on the sidelines. A lot has changed this decade, but Manchester City’s dominance is unmistakable. United are struggling to find stability under Michael Carrick but have not finished above Manchester City in the table since 2012-13, the last time they won the league. With Guardiola replaced by Enzo Maresca and United back in the Champions League, now is the perfect time for the Red Devils to try and close the gap, but are they ready to do so?
Manchester United recorded their biggest win of the season with a 4-0 victory over Azerbaijani side Sabah, posting their second-highest expected goals of the season and being dominant from start to finish. It’s hard to know where Sabah should be placed, but given their performances, not only are they a bad Champions League team, but one that, on average, presents Manchester United with less of a challenge than Championship teams. While the Red Devils can only play against those teams ahead of them, things like this make it difficult to judge how much United have improved, especially when they are struggling against their strongest rivals this season, Everton.
How to watch Manchester United vs Manchester City match
date: Sunday, September 13th | time: 11:30 a.m. ET
Place: Old Trafford – Manchester, England
live streaming: Peacock
Odds: Manchester United +210; Draw +275; Manchester City +115
Meanwhile, on the blue side of Manchester, City emerged, occupying 65% of possession and creating at least 2 expected goals, with Erling Haaland scoring one or two. It was clockwork and a sign of the consistency United strive for. Reports of Manchester City’s downfall during the Guardiola era may be premature, although restructuring is easy when you can keep buying the best players in the world, poaching Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez from their clubs in the same summer. It’s also difficult to stop City when Haaland is the focal point of the team and you can only hope to contain him.
United will once again be hoping Benjamin Cescó or Matheus Cunha can do that, but the Premier League title, while built on hopes and dreams, cannot rely solely on them. United have come a long way back to the Champions League, but there is still plenty of room to grow to challenge their opponents, and the upcoming Manchester derby will provide a good litmus test for the club. If United can withstand City’s possession-based attack, they will need to do something they haven’t done all season and win with less possession.
Derby games are a time when form can be thrown to the wind, which is a good reason why United have actually won four of the last 10 Manchester derbies despite City having been the stronger team for years. Part of this may be because City compete in the Champions League while United either compete in the Europa League or not compete in European football at all, which is why this game is so interesting as both sides have played in midweek and are essentially on equal footing.
Rotation is almost required due to mid-week. If their first-choice XI is unavailable, United will be in trouble. A home game will give them some extra options to push for a win, which could be the platform they need to win this season. The game only gets more difficult from here, so now is a good time for United to press on and try to break the record that trails their neighbours.