Chris Knows: Manchester United vs Manchester City Prediction

Manchester United’s Premier League campaign hasn’t gotten off to the most auspicious of starts. A return of four points from a possible nine has left the Reds five points adrift of Arsenal and Manchester City already.

Whilst talk of a title challenge came from outside the club, it’s understandable that some fans were taken in.

Michael Carrick’s first six months in charge were a dream. Nobody in the Premier League performed better over that time period, and United cruised into a third-placed finish, a dramatic improvement on 15th the previous year.

Failing to defeat Hull City and Everton early on this year has forced fans to accept a dose of realism with regard to a title challenge, but United have a squad that should be more than capable of finishing in the Champions League places.

Sunday brings their first major challenge on the pitch, with Manchester City arriving for an early-season derby.

Enzo Maresca’s side have taken maximum points from their opening three fixtures, with Erling Haaland starting the season in top form.

Can United upset City?

It may seem strange to call Manchester United potentially winning a match at Old Trafford an upset, but given the vastly differing scales of investment in the two teams, United really can’t expect to be on a level playing field with their UAE-linked neighbours.

However, in the most recent meeting between the two teams, it was actually Carrick’s United that played Pep Guardiola’s side off the park.

United need to take some inspiration from that performance, which was arguably the best of their campaign. They won 2-0, but the scoreline didn’t tell the full story.

The hosts rattled the woodwork twice and had three goals ruled out for offside. The reality is that Manchester City’s abject display that afternoon meant they could have exceeded the infamous 6-1 victory they were on the right side of all those years ago.

Michael Carrick was applauded for his approach to that game. It was a fine blend of control and a devastating counter-attack.

United’s defensive display was also exceptional, with Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw keeping Haaland so quiet that he was withdrawn in the second half.

Ironically, it’s United’s defence that is providing the biggest headache going into the Manchester Derby.

Shaw has struggled to get up to speed so far, with United’s lack of depth at left-back becoming an increasing worry. The central defenders have also been poor, failing to keep a single clean sheet in three games.

This is a vastly upgraded Manchester City side to the one that performed so poorly at Old Trafford in January, but United have quality.

Their counter-attacks can be ruthless, utilising Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, whilst Marcus Rashford’s early-season sharpness is encouraging.

Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans are a strong midfield pairing. They will need to bring the control to United’s possession game that worked so well in January, especially with Carlos Baleba not yet fit to make his debut.

Chris’ pick:

Whilst I expect an upturn in performance from the hosts, it’s difficult to envisage a victory on Sunday. It depends on the team selection and how United’s defence plays.

Erling Haaland is likely to score; I think that’s inevitable.

If I were to provide a primary prediction, it would be a BTTS.

A secondary tip would be Erling Haaland to score at any time.