The Premier League is back with a bang after the Carabao cup fixtures this weekend, with two of the most intense derbies in England are set to take place. We start with the Manchester derby on Saturday, as Man Utd host Man City at Old Trafford with both teams trying to continue their unbeaten run and secure not only the precious points but the bragging rights of the city of Manchester. Man Utd V Man City Preview – Devils or Citizens? Red or Blue? Make your pick as we preview the battle of Manchester and analyze the form of both teams heading into this fixture.
The Red Devils
After a lot of controversary and drama at Old Trafford, it finally looks like ten Hag is convincing the management and fans with his style of play and results. Going head to head with one of football’s most iconic players like Ronaldo was not an easy task. However, hate him or love him, ten Hag did what’s best for the club. It might be hard to admit, especially for all the CR7 fans out there, but you either buy into the coach’s philosophy and support him or you keep following the player and eventually lose interest in the team. After all, no player is bigger than the club, no matter what his name was.
That being said, United fans must be buzzing as they have finally found a perfect match, post-Ferguson era. With 4 straight wins in the league, the red devils are on course for tightening the grip on a top 4 finish while closing the gap on their noisy neighbors to just 1 point if they win the derby. If there was ever a time for United’s front office to fully support a coach and build a squad that will fight for trophies, it’s now. Will that be the case though? We said before and we’ll say it again, give this man time and he will bring this club back where it belongs!
The Citizens
Life has been much better for years now on the other side of town. Despite not winning the CL, which is considered the ultimate and most precious missing trophy for most fans, City are always in the mix year in year out and that’s all due to the perfect match they found between their board and coaching staff. Almost all of Pep’s demands have been met, a reason why the noisy neighbors are getting louder and louder every season. How long until they sit top of Europe as well? Well, when you have the luxury to rest key players and still win important matches with a total domination, it shouldn’t be long at all!
Despite a shocking defeat to Brentford, who are having a fantastic season btw, and a frustrating draw against Everton, City are still more than capable of winning the PL this season. They sit just 5 points behind Arsenal, who are going to take part in a derby of their own on Sunday when they travel to Tottenham. A win at Old Trafford and Arteta will start feeling the pressure ahead of the North London derby.
Man Utd V Man City Prediction
Man Utd V Man City Preview – Devils or Citizens? Make your pick. It’s tough to pick a favorite as both teams head into this game playing some high level football while securing some impressive results. United have only conceded one goal in six-straight wins in all competitions, while Rashford is on a run of his own scoring 7 goals in these 6 matches. You can’t ask for a better preparation ahead of the derby!
On the other end, City have not been as solid defensively, conceding a goal in 4 of their last 5 matches in the league. Not to mention conceding 2 goals against Southampton while registering 0 shots on target in the cup. However, with skillful players in the attack and a packed bench, you’re always capable of making a difference at any moment. It’s also safe to add that Mahrez have been crucial lately for the citizens, either by starting or coming off the bench. In a tight derby game, he’s just the kind of player you need to open up spaces and create chances.
That being said, I don’t think that United were ever in a better position recently to compete with City than now! ten Hag is more than capable of matching Pep’s tactics as well as City’s physicality and ball dominance. Mix that with the disappointing result against Southampton, where the citizens were eliminated from the Caraboa cup, we think United have a chance to seal an important win on Saturday and take their revenge from the 6-3 loss in the reverse fixture.
Premier League Odds
Man Utd V Man City Preview – Devils or Citizens? Make your pick. The prematch betting odds at bet365 have City favorites to win at 1.80, while United are a 4.50 to claim their home win. These numbers might change as we move further to the kick off date so make sure to place your bet early and benefit from the high odds.
In addition, we won’t be surprised if there was a high number of cards shown. After all it’s a derby, and the official is non other than Stuart Attwel, who’s officiated 13 matches so far this season, showing 53 yellow cards and two red cards.
The remainder of the match officials for Man Utd vs Man City are as follows:
Assistant Referees: Gary Beswick, Darren Cann
Fourth Official: Robert Jones
VAR Official: Michael Oliver
Assistant VAR Official: Nick Hopton
Make sure to check Man United Vs Liverpool odds with bet365.
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