Manchester United vs Manchester City Predictions

• City have won only one of the last six Manchester derbies
• Manchester United have gone seven Premier League home matches without a clean sheet
• Both teams to score has been a winning bet in four of Manchester City’s last six games

Manchester rivals ready to rack up the goals

It is no coincidence that Oasis, Manchester’s biggest band, opted to release the film documenting their story this weekend, given two of the city’s other big names, United and City, clash in the derby on Sunday. 

Red Devils manager Michael Carrick became an instant hero when leading United to a 2-0 derby-day victory in his first game after taking over from Ruben Amorim last term but City’s bright start to the campaign suggests they may have to work harder for three points this time. 

Enzo Maresca faces a tougher task replacing his predecessor, the legendary Pep Guardiola, than Carrick did coming in for the much-maligned Amorim, but he has certainly made a strong start to that near-impossible mission, with the Citizens a perfect three wins from three in the Premier League. 

City can take the game to their hosts

Maresca’s men also enjoyed a winning start in the Champions League, landing a controlled 2-0 victory at Portuguese title-holders Porto, and it would be a major surprise if United kept their rivals quiet on Sunday. 

It is no secret that Carrick’s side are weak at the back. Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez can all be got at and with little protection from the midfield, a dangerous City attack containing Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo, Iliman Ndiaye and Phil Foden is sure to get chances. 

However, like their rivals, City are better going forwards than they are at the back, so expect United to score alongside their visitors for the eighth Premier League home game in a row. 

Fantastic Fernandes fancied for a starring role

With Bruno Fernandes creating for Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, Marcus Rashford and Matheus Cunha at one end and Haaland spearheading a star-studded attack at the other, over 2.5 goals is worth pairing with both teams to score for a decent return. 

Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals has been a winning bet in each of United’s last seven home league games, with this season’s sole domestic outing at Old Trafford seeing them score five times but concede twice to promoted Ipswich. 

That victory over the Tractor Boys was achieved in large part thanks to Fernandes, with the United skipper bagging a hat-trick. 

The Portuguese playmaker is a creative force but his goalscoring prowess cannot be underestimated and having found the net in Thursday’s 4-0 rout of Sabah in the Champions League, he rates the standout selection to be one of a few names on the scoresheet in Sunday’s Manchester derby.