Manchester United and Manchester City Clash in First High-Stakes Premier League Derby of the Season

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick will face his City counterpart Enzo Maresca for the first time in a derby at Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom on Sunday, September 13 at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT). Al Jazeera Sport will have all the build-up starting from 1:30pm (12:30 GMT) before live text commentary.

It is 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. 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.

How have Manchester United performed this season?

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. Captain Bruno Fernandes has been Man United’s best player this season with three goals.

How have Manchester City performed this season?

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.

Recent Derby History

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.

Predictions and Head-to-Head

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, with a 24.2 percent probability of a draw. Sunday’s clash will mark the 199th Manchester derby, with United leading the head-to-head record with 81 wins compared to City's 62, while 55 games ended in a draw.

Team News and Predicted Lineups

Several United players are sidelined with injuries, including newly signed midfielder Carlos Baleba and winger Amad Diallo, who are both out until mid-September. Carrick has received a boost in Benjamin Sesko’s return to form.

Manchester United’s predicted lineup: Senne Lammens; Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw; Kobbie Mainoo, Youri Tielemans; Bryan Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, Patrick Dorgu; Matheus Cunha

For City, winger Jeremy Doku is sidelined with a calf injury, but full-back Nico O’Reilly is available. New signings Enzo Fernandez, Elliott Anderson, and Ayyoub Bouaddi could all start together in midfield.

Manchester City’s predicted lineup: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Abdukodir Khusanov, Ruben Dias, Marc Guehi, Josko Gvardiol; Elliot Anderson; Antoine Semenyo, Enzo Fernandez, Rayan Cherki, Iliman Ndiaye; Erling Haaland