Preview: Ten Hag to get United started in clawback against City; this team can do it

United have the right ingredients to get a result against the Premier League champions this season

Manchester City -v- Manchester United

Premier League

Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Sunday 2 October 2022, KO 14:00 BST

Manchester United will go head to head with Manchester City in the first Manchester derby of the Premier League season. Last season, City did the double of United, beating them 4-1 at the Etihad and 2-0 at Old Trafford. United need to do much better this season.

City have scored the most goals in the Premier League this season, scoring 18 goals in the seven matches they have played so far. United have played just six matches, scoring eight goals. There is clearly some work for United to put in to get the better of this City side.

Erling Haaland will be the player to stop for United. The Norwegian has scored 11 goals in the Premier League so far this season and seems to be scoring them for fun. And to think that Ed Woodward did not push to sign him back in 2019. What a mistake that has been.

Manchester United – Form, Goals Scored & Assists

FC Sheriff Tiraspol 2-0 W, Real Sociedad 1-0 L, Arsenal 3-1 W, Leicester City 1-0 W, Southampton 1-0 W, Liverpool 2-1 W

Goals: 3 – Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, 1 – Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Own Goal, Cristiano Ronaldo

Assists: 2 – Christian Eriksen, Marcus Rashford, 1 – Diogo Dalot, Anthony Elanga, Bruno Fernandes, Anthony Martial

Manchester City – Form, Goals Scored & Assists

Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 W, Borussia Dortmund 2-1 W, Sevilla 4-0 W, Aston Villa 1-1 D, Nottingham Forest 6-0 W, Crystal Palace 4-2 W

Goals: 14 – Erling Haaland, 3 – Julián Álvarez, Phil Foden, 2 – Ilkay Gündogan, Bernardo Silva, 1 – João Cancelo, Kevin De Bruyne, Rúben Dias, Own Goal, Jack Grealish, John Stones

Assists: 8 – Kevin De Bruyne, 3 – João Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, 2 – Phil Foden, Rodri, John Stones, 1 – Ilkay Gündogan, Erling Haaland

Previous Meetings & Connections

United and City have met 50 times in the Premier League with United winning 24 matches, drawing nine matches and City winning 17. United have scored 71 goals, winning five penalties, scoring four. City have scored 67 goals, winning one penalty, not scoring it.

United have kept 18 clean sheets with City keeping 11. Discipline has been an issue in this fixture with United players shown 86 yellow cards and seven red cards and City players shown 108 yellow cards and one red card. United will need to show that they can defeat City this season.

Billy Meredith, Denis Law, Brian Kidd, Terry Cooke, Peter Schmeichel, Andrew Cole, Carlos Tevez, Owen Hargreaves, Abbie McManus, Jane Ross, Aoife Mannion, Charlie McNeill (academy) and Jadon Sancho have played for both teams in Manchester.

Team News

Harry Maguire, Anthony Martial and Brandon Williams are currently ruled out through injury. Martin Dubravka returned from international duty with an injury, so will need to be assessed by the club. Facundo Pellistri has played for Uruguay during the international break.

Marcus Rashford and Donny van de Beek both have 25% and 50% chances of featuring against City respectively, which could mean that they may not be back in action this weekend. United seem to be much stronger after the international break than they were before.

Kalvin Phillips and John Stones have been ruled out this weekend. Aymeric Laporte has been out of action with a knee injury and could be back in the squad in the clash with United this weekend, having a 50% chance of being involved. City have no real squad problems at this time.

Predicted Manchester United Starting XI – 4-2-3-1

De Gea;

Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Malacia;

Eriksen, Casemiro;

Antony, Fernandes, Sancho;

Ronaldo

Predicted Manchester City Starting XI – 4-3-3

Ederson;

Walker, Akanji, Dias, Cancelo;

De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva;

Foden, Haaland, Grealish

Match Prediction

United have a good chance of overcoming the problems they faced last season against City, which was the fact that the players in the squad did not seem to care or want to perform against the team that eventually retained the Premier League trophy.

With a new manager in Erik ten Hag and some new additions to the squad, there is plenty of hunger to achieve and for once, United have players in defence who have the ability and the mentality to get things done. This test against City could be good for the team.

With players who are out of form out of the starting XI and facing a tough test to get back in, this could be a great period for United to find out who has the right ingredients to remain at the club past next summer. City are beatable and United are able to grind out results.

Manchester City 1-2 Manchester United

Written by John Walker

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I support Manchester United, the greatest English football team to have ever existed. Bruno Fernandes is the latest in a long line of players with great ability to play for the club. I idolised Bryan Robson, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, and Eric Cantona growing up.