Whisper it softly, but Manchester City are starting to find their footing under new manager Enzo Maresca. After kicking off the season with a 3-0 loss to Arsenal in the Community Shield, City would come from behind and narrowly prevail 2-1 vs. Bournemouth before demolishing Crystal Palace 4-1. And after edging Coventry City 1-0, City kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign with a 2-0 win at Porto.
City will be looking to make it seven wins from eight against Premier League opposition as they travel to Old Trafford on Sunday. The Red Devils have enjoyed a mixed start to the season, losing 2-0 at Hull City before thrashing fellow promoted side Ipswich Town 5-2. And after coughing up a last-second equalizer in a 2-2 draw at Everton, United responded with a 4-0 demolition of Champions League debutants Sabah.
United Looking to Continue Strong Showings Against City
Despite lagging behind their crosstown rivals for over a decade now, United have done well to close the gap on City in their recent clashes. They’ve won three of their last six Manchester Derbies, drawing twice, and they will take confidence from the fact that City are no longer being managed by one of the greatest managers of all time in Pep Guardiola.
In contrast to Maresca, who has claimed three trophies as a manager, Michael Carrick hasn’t claimed a single piece of silverware yet in his coaching journey. However, that doesn’t mean that he’ll be lacking in confidence: his first match as United’s interim coach saw them defeat City 2-0 at home via goals from Patrick Dorgu and Bryan Mbuemo.
When they faced off in the 2023/24 EFL Championship season, Carrick’s Middlesbrough defeated Maresca’s Leicester City on both occasions. He’ll be looking to extend that winning streak to three on Sunday. But just what will determine the outcome of the 199th Manchester Derby? Let’s take a look.
1. Can United’s defense stop Haaland?
Carrick has a tactical dilemma ahead of him as he attempts to sort out his attack. Should he continue with Matheus Cunha up top, or should he reward Benjamin Šeško with his first start of the Premier League season after his goal vs. Sabah? Should he persist with Mbuemo and Cunha on the flanks after their impressive display vs. Sabah, or should he reintroduce Marcus Rashford or Patrick Dorgu on the left flank?
As for Maresca, it remains to be seen whether he will elect to go with Phil Foden or new arrival Iliman Ndiaye alongside Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo in attack. However, one thing’s for sure: Erling Haaland will be starting up top for City, and he could very well be the difference between them winning and dropping points.
After spearheading Norway to an unprecedented World Cup quarterfinal, Haaland has picked up where he left off with 5 goals in his last 3 matches. Haaland initially torched United with 6 goals and 4 assists in his first 5 derbies, but he’s cooled off since. Haaland has been kept under wraps in 5 of his last 6 derbies, and he’ll be looking to change that on Sunday.
Will Harry Maguire stay tight to Haaland or prioritize protecting the space behind? Can Lisandro MartÃnez step out without leaving a gap for Haaland to attack? Can United prevent City from delivering early crosses and cutbacks and track the runners like Semenyo who create space for Haaland? United will need to answer these questions in order to stop Haaland from wreaking havoc.
2. Can United play through City’s pressure without giving away dangerous turnovers?
In order to prevent City from dominating possession and dictating the game on their own terms, it’s vital that United show some bravery on the ball. Can they find a way to filter the ball from the first to the second phase of play and lure the opposition in? Or will they panic in the face of pressure and try to launch the ball for their forwards to chase down?
City have started to hit their stride under Maresca thanks to a 4-2-3-1 that becomes a 3-2-5 in possession, with a man-oriented setup that requires every single player to pursue the ball after losing it and engage in an intense pressing unit. It’s precisely this pressing efficacy that has seen City dominate possession and register at least 2.1 expected goals in each of their last four matches.
If United are to find their way out of City’s asphyxiating press, they’re going to have to require every single player to be switched on for 90+ minutes. Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot need to be able to dribble forward in possession and force City into paying attention to them, rather than simply booting it up the touchline.
Senne Lammens needs to be able to locate the free man rather than resorting to an aimless long ball, and if the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans are being man-marked, it will come down to the likes of Mbuemo to drop deep and manufacture a passing lane. United cannot afford to go on the defensive and allow City to dominate in the final third: they need to play fearlessly on and off the ball.
3. Which #10 will steal the show?
There aren’t many attacking midfielders who can go blow for blow with Bruno Fernandes, but Rayan Cherki is one of them. After finishing as the top assist provider in Ligue 1 and the UEFA Europa League, Cherki earned a move to Manchester City for an initial €36.5 million. It hasn’t taken long for him to make that look like a bargain, racking up 10 goals and 15 assists in 52 appearances in his debut Premier League season.
Cherki earned a place in the 2025/26 PFA Team of the Season alongside Fernandes, who spurred United to a top-three finish with a record-breaking 21 Premier League assists. Both players struggled to perform in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but both have gotten back to their best with Fernandes bagging a hat-trick and an assist vs. Ipswich before scoring vs. Sabah.
As for the Frenchman, he assisted City’s two goals after coming off the bench vs. Bournemouth, and he’s remained in their starting XI ever since, bagging a brace at Crystal Palace in the following match. Cherki has managed to fill Kevin De Bruyne’s lofty shoes at the #10 position, and there’s reason to believe he can devastate a United side that has conceded twice in each of their first three matches.
The onus will be on Fernandes to exploit City’s high positioning and launch counter-attacks and allow United to thrive in transition. The Portuguese playmaker isn’t just an effective assist provider — he’s someone who can make the first forward pass and transform defense into attack with just one perfectly executed through ball between the lines. If he can work his magic, then United might just be able to come away with a victory against City.
Predicted XIs:
Manchester United:
Lammens;
Dalot, Maguire, MartÃnez, Shaw;
Mainoo, Tielemans;
Mbuemo, Fernandes, Rashford;
Cunha
Manchester City:
Donnarumma;
Nunes, Dias, Guéhi, Gvardiol;
Fernández, Anderson;
Foden, Cherki, Semenyo;
Haaland
