Manchester United vs Man City: Premier League – predictions, teams, lineups

Who: Manchester United vs Manchester City What: English Premier League Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom When: Sunday, September 13 at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 1:30pm (12:30 GMT) before our live text commentary stream.

It’s time for the first Manchester derby of the 2026-27 Premier League season, as Man United host cross-town rivals Man City in Sunday’s showdown at Old Trafford.

Premier League table toppers Man City have made a near-perfect start under new boss Enzo Maresca, who is gearing up for his first big test since succeeding Pep Guardiola in the summer.

While the brilliance of Erling Haaland ensured Maresca and City have made a good early impression, the same cannot be said for their rivals United, whose campaign is already off to a rollercoaster start.

Manager Michael Carrick will hope his side finds much-needed stability, or they fear being cut adrift in the title race.

Man United have had a mixed start to their season, winning twice and registering a defeat and a draw each in four games across all competitions.

They started their Premier League campaign with a humiliating 2-0 defeat at newly promoted Hull City before responding with a 5-2 thrashing of Ipswich Town, headlined by a hat-trick from captain Bruno Fernandes.

In the third league game of the season, United were held to a 2-2 draw at Everton after a late equaliser, and this week marked their Champions League return after three seasons with a 4-0 league phase win against Azerbaijan’s Sabah.

Carrick’s side is 11th in the league standings with four points after three games.

City have made an impressive start and lead the league standings with nine points, tied with second-place and reigning champions Arsenal.

Since losing to the Gunners in the Community Shield, the annual curtain-raiser to the English top-flight season, City have won all four matches across all competitions.

Maresca’s Premier League campaign started with a late 2-1 home win over Bournemouth before his side thrashed Crystal Palace 4-1 in an away fixture, with both Haaland and Rayan Cherki bagging a brace.

City’s form continued with a 1-0 win over Coventry City and another Haaland double guided them to a 2-0 win over Porto in their Champions League opener.

Norway’s Haaland, who made a terrific FIFA World Cup debut this year, has five goals in four games, becoming City’s third-highest goalscorer of all time in the process on 167.

“I’m really proud of these numbers, but I’m only 26, and I’m hungry for more,” the striker said.

United defeated bitter rivals City 2-0 at home in the Manchester derby last season on January 17, thanks to second-half goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu.

That match marked Carrick’s first game in charge of the Reds as the interim manager at that time.

City last defeated United 3-0 in a derby on September 14, 2025, as Haaland scored a double and Phil Foden added another at Etihad Stadium.

Opta’s supercomputer predicts Man City have a slight edge over United in this derby.

The visitors have a 44.2 percent probability of victory, while hosts Man United are given 31.6 percent odds of winning.

There is a 24.2 percent probability of a draw.

Sunday’s blockbuster clash will mark the 199th Manchester derby.

United have the upper hand over City, leading the head-to-head record with 81 wins, compared with City’s 62. A total of 55 games ended in a draw.

Several United players are sidelined with injuries, including newly signed midfielder Carlos Baleba and winger Amad Diallo, who are both out until mid-September with ankle and muscle issues, respectively.

Carrick, though, has received a boost in Benjamin Sesko’s return to form ahead of the derby, having scored off the bench in the last two matches.

Winger Jeremy Doku is sidelined with a calf injury, but full-back Nico O’Reilly is available after recovering from a back injury.

Further good news for City fans is that new signings Enzo Fernandez, Elliott Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi could all start together in midfield for the first time on Sunday.

To find the local broadcaster in your region, head to the Premier League’s official website.