Manchester City vs Manchester United Preview & Betting Tips - City to dominate the derby in EPL

By Nikhil Kalro

01 Mar 2024

Nikhil Kalro 01 Mar 2024

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Manchester City are set to face rivals Manchester United in an upcoming Premier League match.
United has been hard-hit by injuries which could put them at a disadvantage.
Despite lacking in recent goals, City looks poised for a possible league double, enhancing the excitement for this match.

Erling Haaland (Getty Images)

Manchester City will aim to do the league double over their arch-rivals Manchester United when the two teams meet at the Etihad Stadium this weekend in the English Premier League.

City beat United 3-0 when these two clubs met in the reverse fixture earlier this season in October at Old Trafford. Erling Haaland bagged a brace that evening before Phil Foden scored the third.

Meanwhile, inconsistency and injuries have wreaked havoc at Manchester United. Seven players, including Rasmus Hojlund and Lisandro Martinez, are on United’s injury list.

City, on the other hand, will only be without Josko Gvardiol. Jack Grealish is back after a week-long absence and will be fit to play this weekend.

The only concern for City at this point is the lack of goals. In each of their last three league games, the defending champions have scored only one goal.

They held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw before beating Brentford 1-0 at the Etihad. Last weekend, City were on the road and returned with all three points after a 1-0 win at Bournemouth.

Manchester United’s five-game unbeaten streak in the league came to an unexpected end last weekend when the 20-time Premier League champions were beaten 2-1 in their own backyard by Fulham.

Their record at home and away in the league is the same, as United have won seven, lost five, and drawn one of their 13 home and away games.

The last two league meetings between these two Manchester clubs at the Etihad have not ended well for the visitors.

In October 2022, Manchester City thrashed their rivals 6-3. This result came seven months after the hosts hammered the Red Devils 4-1 in the 2021/22 league season.

While Pep Guardiola has plenty of options for player selection, Erik Ten Hag will be without key players in all departments.

The defense will not be at full strength because of the absence of Luke Shaw and Martinez, and the attacking department will be without its leading goalscorer, Hojlund.

Man City vs Man United Tips & Predictions

The odds are stacked against Manchester United in this derby. Hojlund’s fiery form could have helped the visitors, but the Danish striker will miss the crucial match. Due to his absence, the club struggled at home against Fulham. Now, they are up against a tougher opponent and will play on enemy territory.

Manchester City have not lost any of their last 11 Premier League games. Their last defeat in the league came in December against Aston Villa.

Across all competitions, the defending champions have an unbeaten streak of 17 games. These statistics, coupled with their opponents’ recent setbacks, make Manchester City the favorites to win.