This article is part of our Soccer Picks series.
Manchester City and Manchester United meet Sunday at Etihad Stadium for the 195th all-time Manchester derby. Each side is facing a swift turnover for the fixture after a midweek Champions League loss to Juventus and a Europa League victory over Viktoria Plzen, respectively.
Manchester City continue to suffer an uncanny rut of form under Pep Guardiola that has seen them claim just one victory over their last 10 fixtures in all competitions. Meanwhile, Manchester United have scored 12 goals in five fixtures across all competitions under new gaffer Ruben Amorim.
City sit fourth in the Premier League table on 27 points, two ahead of Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest in the race to secure Champions League qualification for next season. United have withered to mid-table obscurity, sitting 13th with just 19 points through 15 matches.
Premier League Predicted & Confirmed Lineups
Premier League Schedule and Fixture Difficulty Ranker
HEAD TO HEAD
Manchester City and Manchester United have met on 194 occasions, dating back to 1891 when City, then known as Ardwick, fell 5-1 in an FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round fixture. The Noisy Neighbors and Red Devils met four times over the course of the 2023/2024 season. City won both Premier League meetings by an aggregate score of 6-1 and triumphed in the FA Community Shield on penalty kicks back in August
United raised the FA Cup after a 2-1 victory over their cross-town rivals, denying City a fourth trophy of the season (Premier League title, FIFA Club World Cup winners, UEFA Super Cup winners).
Manchester United lead the all-time series, having won 79 times and drawn on 53 occasions.
ODDS
Moneyline
DraftKings: MCI -175 Draw +370, MUN +400 (PROMO CODE)
FanDuel: MCI -180 Draw +360, MUN +420 (PROMO CODE)
BetMGM: MCI -185 Draw +360, MUN +425 (BONUS CODE)
Bet365: MCI -175 Draw +350, MUN +425 (BONUS CODE)
LINEUP NOTES & INJURY NEWS
Manchester City
Manchester City have nursed their main contingent of attackers and midfielders back to playable health but continue to navigate injuries and absences across their defense.
Central defender John Stones looks likely to miss out on the Manchester Derby after not being named to the team sheet Wednesday in City's 2-0 loss in Turin. Fellow center-backs Manuel Akanji (pelvis) and Nathan Ake (hamstring) have each missed City's most recent two fixtures, with both set to miss out again.
To add insult to injury, full-back Rico Lewis will be unavailable for the match due to suspension after being sent off for two yellow cards in City's 2-2 draw versus Crystal Palace last time out.
With their defensive ranks thin, Guardiola will lean heavily upon Ruben Dias, Kyle Walker and Josko Gvardiol to defend, while young defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey has filled in defensively when City have been short on bodies in the backline.
Manchester United
Manchester United enter the fixture in relatively good health compared to their rivals.
Jonny Evans remains a doubt, while Luke Shaw recently suffered a setback in his bid to return from a calf injury and is a long-term absence.
With United at near full strength, I expect Amorim to name his most consistently paired defenders, Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Lisandro Martinez, across his back three. Diogo Dalot is likely to lineup at right wing-back, as he has in four successive fixtures, with Amad Diallo likely operating on the opposite flank.
Veteran holding midfielder Casemiro and young Manuel Ugarte have been selected to Amorim's midfield pairing most often, with Kobbie Mainoo also a possibility in the No. 6 role.
After Joshua Zirkzee played the majority of the minutes in United's midweek tilt, expect an in-form Rasmus Hojlund to spearhead the United attack with the support of Bruno Fernandes playing off of his right shoulder and possibly Alejandro Garnacho or Mason Mount off of his left shoulder, as other choice Marcus Rashford featured in Thursday's Europa League victory and wasn't great.
FORMATIONS
With ongoing injury problems in the backline and their recent displays of susceptibility to counter attacks, look for Guardiola to add a wrinkle to his usual game plan.
The partnership of two of the three of Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic has been insufficient in replacing the injured Rodri. Considering the defensive deficiencies in City's midfield and a lack of options from which to select in their defensive ranks, a cunning Guardiola may be less likely to commit a full-back into the attack.
Ruben Amorim has implemented his 3-4-3 system at old Trafford with Dalot and Diallo most often operating at wing-back, while Matthijs De Ligt has looked comfortable in the center of United's back three. Club captain Fernandes has alternated between a role in the central midfield and as an attacking midfielder in his six appearances under Amorim.
During his time at Sporting CP, Amorim asked his squads to press aggressively once dispossessed. As United continue to develop a new squad identity, Amorim may smell the proverbial blood in the water with the City backline and look to vigorously press to begin the match before settling into a more conservative approach away from home.
RECENT FORM
Manchester City (LDWLD) have managed just one win over their last 10 fixtures across all competitions and have conceded 2.3 goals per match over that span. Their most recent Premier League victory came at home in a 3-0 drubbing of Nottingham Forest.
Manchester United (WLLWW) are winless in two Premier League fixtures since dismantling Everton in a 4-0 victory to begin the month of December. The Red Devils are expectedly finding their footing under a new manager, and in turn, have performed inconsistently as they absorb a new set of tactics.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kevin De Bruyne: De Bruyne has been the driving force behind the Manchester City attack for the duration of their dominant run in English football. If City are able to collect themselves and make a run at a title challenge, there can be no margin for error. After five limited appearances in his return from injury, the midfielder has now started in three successive fixtures. Assuming he starts again, De Bruyne will be the center of the City game plan.
Rasmus Hojlund: If Manchester United are to successfully swoop into Etihad Stadium and execute a classic Premier League smash and grab, expect Hojlund to be the man in the United attack troubling the City net. Over his most recent five appearances (three starts), the striker has scored five goals and assisted once.
BETTING PICKS & PREDICTION
Premier League Odds Comparisons
Man of the Match: Erling Haaland
Based upon the setup each club is likely to roll out, it is probable that the Premier League's reigning Golden Boot winner is set for a one-on-one matchup with De Ligt in central defense, and Haaland one-on-one with any defender is a mismatch. When United attempt to pinch Haaland's space by placing another defender more centrally or by tracking back proactively in the midfield, I anticipate Haaland to leverage his guile to distribute defense-unlocking passes into the wide areas.
Result: Manchester City 2-1 Manchester United
UPCOMING EPL FIXTURES
Manchester City: Dec. 21 at Aston Villa
Manchester United: Dec. 22 vs. Bournemouth
