Who’s winning the Manchester derby?
The international break is over, and what better way to return to the domestic action than with a Manchester Derby? Pep’s team host Man Utd late Sunday afternoon, with both teams desperate for 3 points after an underwhelming start to the season.
Team Form
First off, neither of these teams can really afford a loss here, with both teams having had a rocky start to the new campaign. Here are the first three PL matches for the two Manchester sides leading up to the derby:
Man City:
Wolves – Man City 0-4
Man City – Spurs 0-2
Brighton – Man City 2-1
Man Utd:
Man Utd – Arsenal 0-1
Fulham – Man Utd 1-1
Man Utd – Burnley 3-2
Needless to say, these aren’t the results neither teams were hoping for, and Man City are in real danger of having lost 3 of their first four matches of the season, which would be nothing short of a disaster for the club. Man Utd were actually quite impressive in their opening match against Arsenal, though a set piece and poor goalkeeping led to a narrow defeat at home against last season’s number two. The draw against Fulham was a huge disappointment before a penalty deep into stoppage time ensured a lucky 3-2 win over Burnley.
Injuries and Team News
The hosts will have to manage without Cherki, Kovacic and Marmoush, while Gvardiol, Savinho and Foden all look like they will be ready to make an impact in the derby. John Stones is also in doubt, but will hopefully for Guardiola and Man City be ready for action come Sunday.
Donnarumma is ready to make his first appearance for the club since his transfer from PSG, and he’ll likely have Ait-Nouri, Stones, Dias and Lewis in front of him, while Reijnders, Rodri and Bernardo Silva will take charge in midfield. Doku could feature on the wing, with their star striker ready to continue where he left off during the WC qualifiers.
For Amorim and Man Utd, there are question marks surrounding Cunha’s fitness, though he could be ready for Sunday’s big match, which would be a huge boost after his encouraging start in the Man Utd shirt. Mount and Dalot are also in doubt and are being assessed in the coming days, but one could argue that Cunha is the most important player of the three leading into this game. Senne Lammens have arrived at Man Utd, but it’s doubtful that Amorim will give the new goalkeeper his debut in the Manchester derby of all matches.
Should Mount still struggle, Mainoo might form the midfield duo with Casemiro, behind Mbeumo and Fernandes, while Sesko could start, especially if Cunha is not fully fit come Sunday afternoon. Dorgu and Amad could be vital on the wingbacks for a Man Utd team looking to cause damage on the break, with Shaw, Yoro and de Ligt ready for a busy day in defense.
Predictions
Manchester City are currently odds favourites to win at 1.75, while a Man Utd win is at 4.45. Form usually doesn’t mean too much when there is a derby approaching. Considering the poor form of especially Man City, this match could however be an early-season turning point for both clubs.
Have checked out our Early Payout? If a team you’ve backed to win goes two goals ahead at any point, we’ll pay out your selection early, as though they’ve already won! On our designated early payout odds, Man City are currently at 1.70, with Man Utd at 4.25.
The Manchester Derby is a tough one to predict, but three losses in a row seems a bit much for Man City, so a double chance with Man City or a draw at 1.22 could also be an option here.
Another question is whether or not Donnarumma could potentially get a clean sheet in his debut (should he start as predicted), with a clean sheet for Man City currently at 3.10.
No matter the outcome, there should be plenty of action and talking points during the 90 minutes plus injury time in Manchester this Sunday!
Please note that the odds might have changed since the writing and/or publication of this article.
Last updated: 11.09.25
