Manchester City v Manchester United predictions: Champions can edge lively derby

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Manchester City v Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Premier League & Main Event, 2pm Sunday

Best bets

Manchester City to win 2-1
1pt 9-1 bet365

Manchester City to win 3-1
1pt 10-1 bet365

Team news

Manchester City
Aymeric Laporte (knee) is back in training but Kalvin Phillips and John Stones are injured.

Manchester United
Harry Maguire is injured and Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Donny van de Beek are doubtful. Brandon Williams is out.

Match preview

Manchester United have won their last four Premier League matches, including home victories over Liverpool and Arsenal, but the betting for their derby trip to Manchester City provides a reality check for the Red Devils.

Despite their upturn in form before the international break, United are as big as 8-1 to upset the champions at the Etihad Stadium, where they were utterly outclassed in a 4-1 defeat in March.

That rout was the first of six straight away league losses at the end of Ralf Rangnick's interim reign at Old Trafford and Erik ten Hag's first road fixture ended in a 4-0 reverse at Brentford, who scored all of their goals in the first 35 minutes.

They ground out 1-0 wins at struggling Southampton and Leicester in their next two away games in the league but a derby at City is a far tougher test and splitting stakes between a 2-1 and 3-1 home win in the correct-score market could be the best betting strategy.

United, stung into action by their humiliation at Brentford, produced a much-improved performance to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford, where captain Harry Maguire and last season's top goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo were dropped to the bench.

They ended Arsenal's perfect start to the campaign with a 3-1 home victory on September 4, their most recent fixture, but they benefited from the Gunners' lack of ruthlessness in front of goal.

Ten Hag and his defenders cannot count on that kind of profligacy from a City side who have scored 14 goals in their first three Premier League home matches this season – a 4-0 win over Bournemouth, a 4-2 triumph over Crystal Palace, who had led 2-0 at half-time, and a 6-0 drubbing of Nottingham Forest.

Erling Haaland scored hat-trick against Palace and Forest and the Norway striker, who has found the net 14 times in his first nine Premier League and Champions League appearances for City, poses a huge threat to United's new-look defence.

Ten Hag may be missing injured forward Marcus Rashford, the Premier League's player of the month for September, and it will be fascinating to see whether the United boss is bold enough to start Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen in midfield or if he opts for the more defensive-minded Casemiro.

Whatever the visitors' tactics, they should be encouraged by some signs of defensive vulnerability from City this term.

Pep Guardiola's side needed two brilliant late goals from Haaland and John Stones to beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1, and had to come from two goals down in the home win over Palace and a 3-3 draw at Newcastle, but they should still prove too strong for their neighbours.

Key stat

Manchester City have won their last nine home games in all competitions, scoring 36 goals.

Inside info

Manchester City

Penalty taker Erling Haaland
Assist ace Kevin De Bruyne
Set-piece aerial threat Erling Haaland
Card magnet Joao Cancelo

Manchester United

Penalty taker Cristiano Ronaldo
Assist ace Christian Eriksen
Set-piece aerial threat Cristiano Ronaldo
Card magnet Bruno Fernandes

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