Manchester United vs Man City Preview

Manchester United vs Man City preview and prediction, Key stats, H2H, form, injury news & betting tips for the 13 September 2026 Manchester Derby at Old Trafford.

Premier League – Game Week 4

13 Sept 2026 

Kick-off: 16:30 BST / 16:30 UTC+1 / 16:30 WAT, confirm via Premier League official schedule

Old Trafford, Manchester 

Manchester United vs Man City  preview and betting tips

The season’s first Manchester Derby takes centre stage at Old Trafford as Michael Carrick’s United host Enzo Maresca’s unbeaten City in a fixture that always defies league form.

Manchester United have made an inconsistent start to the season, suffering a surprise 2-0 defeat to Hull on the opening day. They then fell behind Ipswich Town before recovering to claim a 5-2 victory at Old Trafford in a match they largely controlled. They were held to a 2–2 draw by Everton after Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ stoppage-time screamer at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. They have started their Champions League match brilliantly by winning 4-0 against Sabah Baku They have taken four points from their first three league games.

United have shown attacking potential under Michael Carrick but their defensive performances remain a concern. They have scored seven goals in their first three Premier League matches, while conceding six. 

Bruno Fernandes has been one of United’s standout performers, contributing three goals and an assist so far this season. The Portuguese midfielder was also instrumental last campaign, registering a record 21 assists in 2025-26. 

City have a 100% record to protect

Manchester City have made a perfect start to the season under new manager Enzo Maresca, winning each of their first three matches. Erling Haaland may have a new look but his goalscoring habits remain unchanged. The Norwegian striker scored the decisive goal against Coventry in City’s latest outing after netting twice against Crystal Palace. His attacking partner, Rayan Cherki has also impressed with two goals and two assists so far this season. 

Key statistics and  injury news

• This is only the second time in 50 years that United have conceded 2+ goals in their first three league matches of a season.
• United are unbeaten in their last two Premier League derbies at Old Trafford but they have lost 8 of their last 16 such home derbies overall.
• Erling Haaland’s goal against Coventry was his 300th goal in senior football.
• Five of City’s starting players against Coventry joined the club after January 2026.

Predicted Line‑ups 

Based on current team news and recent selection patterns, these are our predicted starting XIs

United (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Mainoo, Tielemans; Mbuemo, Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Cunha.

City (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol; Anderson, Fernandez, Cherki; Semenyo, Foden, Haaland.

Team news & squads

Michael Carrick will be without Amad Diallo and Carlos Baleba for the derby, with both players sidelined by injury. United have no suspensions to contend with, although a confirmed starting XI has yet to emerge. Any further team news will be added as kick-off approaches.

Manchester City have no fresh fitness concerns. Enzo Maresca has his full squad available for selection, with no injuries or suspensions currently reported. That gives City plenty of options heading into the derby. 

United Form

Manchester United have endured a mixed run over their last five matches in all competitions, recording two wins, two losses and one draw. United also made an impressive start to their Champions League campaign, beating  Sabah Baku 4–0. However, they have taken only four points from their first three Premier League matches, earning a 2–2 draw against Everton and beating Ipswich Town 5–2 at home after suffering a 2–0 loss to Hull City. Their recent schedule also includes a 4-2 pre-season defeat to AC Milan. Across those five games, United have scored 13 goals while conceding 11. 

United also made an impressive start to their Champions League campaign, beating Sabah Baku 4-0. However, they have taken only four points from their first three Premier League matches. 

City Form

Manchester City have put together an impressive run of form, winning 4 of their last 5 matches. In the Premier League, City have been in great form, winning 4–1 away at Crystal Palace, 2–1 against Bournemouth, and 1–0 against Coventry. They also recorded a 2–0 Champions League win against Porto. Across those four victories, City scored nine goals and conceded five. 

Head-to-Head Record

Manchester United vs Manchester City Prediction

Our Predictions 

• Main Prediction: Both Teams to Score
• Safer Goals Pick: Over 1.5 Goals
• Higher-Risk Goals Pick: Over 2.5 Goals 

Why We Expect This Result 

Manchester United have scored at least two goals in four of their last five matches. They have scored 13 goals and conceded 11 during this run. This shows that United can be dangerous in attack, but they have also had problems in defence.

Manchester City have also scored two or more goals in four of their last five matches. They have scored nine goals and conceded five. City have been more solid at the back, but they have shown that they can score regularly.

With both teams showing good attacking form, this derby could produce goals at both ends. Their recent meetings also give us reason to expect an open game. Both Teams to Score is a reasonable option, while Over 1.5 Goals looks like the safer goals pick. Over 2.5 Goals offers more value but comes with greater risk.