Who Wins The Manchester Derby?

This weekend see’s the latest instalment of the Manchester Derby as Manchester United host Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday. 

It will be the fourth meeting between the two this season after they have played once in the league and twice in the Carabao Cup. United won the first meeting at the Etihad Stadium 2-1 after an explosive performance saw City outclassed. In the Carabao Cup City were the team that went through but each team won a game with City winning 3-1 at Old Trafford and United winning the second leg 1-0 at the Etihad. 

With the overall score 2-1 to United this season, City will be desperate to level it up with the potential of a fifth meeting in the FA Cup. 

Recent results suggest the away side will be favourites, though, as the visiting team in the Manchester derby has won six of the last seven meetings, with the exception a 3-1 home win for City in November 2018.

The hosts come into the game on a good run of form and progressed in the FA Cup after a 3-0 win over Derby County away from home thanks to a goal from Luke Shaw and a double from Odion Ighalo. 

City have also been in hot form and although they may not be Premier League champions this year Pep Guardiola will want to win as many games as possible. Their last outing was a comfortable 1-0 win away at Sheffield Wednesday securing their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals. 

United will definitively be without both Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford as they are still injured and are monitoring Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire. However, new boy Bruno Fernandes will be available and he will give The Reds confidence after the way that he has started life in English football. 

City will be without Aymeric Laporte after he picked up a hamstring injury against Real Madrid and they are monitoring Kevin De Bruyne who picked up a muscular injury against Sheffield Wednesday. However, Leroy Sane could make his return to the squad after over six months out with a knee injury which would be huge news for Guardiola. 

The win will mean a lot to United who are chasing a Champions League spot and they know that a win could place them above Chelsea and into fourth place. 

It is sure to be another hotly contested fixture between the two giants of Manchester but who will come out on top?