Key events
30 mins: City’s setup isn’t really working so far; the lack of width isn’t keeping Fernandes off the ball and the Gundogan-Kovacic axis is struggling to break up United’s counters. From another one, Dorgu runs just offside.
28 mins: United enjoying their best spell now, Ugarte winning the ball in midfield and finding Garnacho, who underhits a pass to Fernandes. He scoops the ball over the City defence, but a stretching Ugarte can’t apply the finish.
26 mins: Bruno Fernandes weaves a bit of magic in midfield, linking with Hojlund and then releasing Garnacho. The United captain then plays in Dorgu down the left, but he fires a hopeful shot over the bar from a narrow angle.
25 mins: So far, United have looked shaky playing out from the back but City haven’t carved them open, and the best chances have fallen to the hosts on quick breaks upfield.
23 mins: Garnacho’s pace is causing City problems – he bursts down the right this time and his long-distance cut back falls to Dorgu. He should hit it first time but tries to control it – and his first touch is “thick”, according to Peter Drury, which I quite like.
22 mins: Leny Yoro is hurt but United have given the ball away, so he needs to get back up pronto. De Bruyne tries to slot a pass in to Foden on the right, but it’s overhit and Maguire can get across to clear.
19 mins: Big chance for United! After Fernandes kick-starts the move, Dalot holds it up on the right and whips in a dangerous delivery. Ugarte can’t get his head to it but it falls to Garnacho, who slips with the goal at his mercy! Ugarte may have unsighted him, but still.
18 mins: Patrick Dorgu – another decent January signing, for me – is kept from crossing the ball by Matheus Nunes, who earns a goal kick.
17 mins: De Bruyne collects Silva’s pass, spins and hits an optimistic effort from the corner of the penalty area. It’s on target, but Onana is right behind it.
16 mins: De Bruyne’s corner is low and angled in to the near post, where there’s a muted handball appeal before United clear it away.
15 mins: A first opening for Marmoush, picked out smartly by O’Reilly on the run. He takes a touch and shapes to shoot, but Maguire does well to get across and deflect it behind.
14 mins: Casemiro loops the ball forward to Højlund, who is isolated up front and eventually muscled off the ball.
12 mins: Foden looks likely to continue, but Jeremy Doku and Savinho have been sent to warm up, just in case. Jack Grealish, on the other hand, is staying in his seat.
11 mins: A few misplaced passes creeping in to United’s game early on. Maguire presents the ball to Foden, who is tackled by Casemiro. The City man stays down and needs a minute with the physio.
9 mins: Foden cuts inside, shakes off Dorgu and shoots low into the near side-netting from 20 yards out. Onana looked to have it covered.
“I am not a City fan by any stretch, but the acquisition of Marmoush in the January window might be the best move of any team in the league,” writes Joe Pearson. “He really looks like a player. And when paired with Haaland, whoa!” It’s a frightening prospect.
8 mins: Ugarte’s control lets him down and City counter, but Foden’s slipped ball to De Bruyne on the right is delayed a fraction, and the Belgian has drifted offside.
6 mins: Marmoush finds De Bruyne in a pocket of space, but his sideways pass is behind O’Reilly. The imposing left-back eventually wins a free kick as Dalot hauls him down.
5 mins: We’ll probably see a bit of rotation in City’s front four today – Foden has started alongside Marmoush up front, with De Bruyne in behind and Bernardo in a deeper role.
4 mins: City enjoy their first spell of possession, with United pressing gamely all over midfield.
2 mins: Fernandes looks for a gap in the City wall as Casemiro moves aside – but it ricochets off a blue shirt for a corner. O’Reilly gets his head to it, and City escape that major early scare!
1 min: Garnacho gets into space, charges towards goal and is brought down by Ruben Dias – United appeal for a penalty, but it’s just outside the box. Dias is booked, and Fernandes will take the free kick …
Peep!
We’re under way, and United are straight on the attack …
Predictions? I can envisage a 1-1 draw that does no team any favours, but also limits the emotional damage. We’ll find out very soon.
Fun fact: at least one Manchester club has finished in the top three in every Premier League season but one – 2015-16, when Leicester, Arsenal and Tottenham were on the podium. City have work to do to keep that record alive this season.
Here’s Pep Guardiola on Kevin De Bruyne: “Of course there’s emotion, one decade here, but I’m pretty sure he’ll be focused on what he needs to do.” On Omar Marmoush: “He has done well, his numbers, movement off the ball and getting in behind.” And on Nico O’Reilly: “Nico is young, he has to improve but he has great physicality and is strong at set pieces.”
And Ruben Amorim on Rasmus Højlund: “He’s more explosive [than Zirkzee] and can use his pace to trap the opposition.” On Luke Shaw: “He can play a few minutes, we’re happy to have him back because he’s an experienced player.”
Today also marks Kevin De Bruyne’s last Manchester derby. Could he be City’s greatest ever player? He’s certainly in the conversation, as they say.
Southampton are relegated: It’s been in the post for many months now, but Southampton’s 3-1 defeat at Spurs means they are officially heading back to the Championship. Their only remaining goal is to grab a couple more points and avoid Derby’s unwanted record.
It’s finished Fulham 3-2 Liverpool – the league leaders’ first away defeat all season. They’re still 11 points clear, mind you. It’s also finished Brentford 0-0 Chelsea, a decent result for City as they chase a top-five place.
For United, neither Matthijs de Ligt nor Kobbie Mainoo are fit enough to feature in Ruben Amorim’s squad. Harry Maguire comes in to the back three, while the only other change from the XI that lost at Nottingham Forest is up front – Rasmus Højlund replacing Joshua Zirkzee.
City saw off Leicester in midweek with a shuffled side but revert back to the setup that delivered in the second-half at Bournemouth in the FA Cup, with Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne among those returning. Jack Grealish is back on the bench, but youngster Nico O’Reilly continues at left-back.
Team news
Manchester United (3-4-2-1): Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Mazraoui; Dalot, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Fernandes, Garnacho; Højlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Lindelöf, Mount, Zirkzee, Eriksen, Shaw, Amass, Obi, Kukonki.
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gündogan, Kovacic; Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Foden; Marmoush.
Subs: Ortega, Grealish, Doku, Nico González, Vitor Reis, Savio, Khusanov,
Lewis, McAtee.
In Sunday’s 2pm games, the champions-elect are having a shocker at Craven Cottage. Elsewhere, it’s Brentford 0-0 Chelsea and Tottenham 2-0 Southampton – unless the Saints can summon a comeback, they’ll be officially relegated.
Pre-game reading
Preamble
Welcome to a derby day to dread, coming at the tail end of seasons for both sides that have been disappointing at best, existential crises at their worst. Of the many psyche-shattering defeats that Manchester City suffered as their imperial armour dramatically fell away, the derby loss in December ranked among the most brutal, as they nursed a fragile lead before imploding to concede twice at the death.
If that felt like a gift to a generationally bad United team, it was one they three away, going on to lose their next three league games as Ruben Amorim talked openly of a relegation battle. Both teams have, relatively speaking, improved since the depths of midwinter but their fragile rebuilding efforts risk being reset today.
The FA Cup aside, City’s remaining target is to steer themselves to a top-five finish; their title defence has long been over, but defeat here would officially end their reign. Uncertainty lies ahead with Pep Guardiola’s stamina waning, a squad in mid-overhaul and Premier League charges still hanging in the air. Still, their cross-town might happily trade places.
Manchester United are currently 14th in the table; they’ve won a third of their league games so far, and are yet to win two consecutively this season. These are statistics which would have seemed impossible even as the sun set on the Alex Ferguson era, yet they barely begin to tell the story. With more protests expected today and fear of irreversible decline, the actual football feels secondary.
Old Trafford is a deeply broken place these days, but it’s still the ground where City fans most want to see their team win. Victory for either side today may be a plaster over festering wounds, but it’s still a win on derby day. Kick-off: 4.30pm BST.
