Manchester City vs Manchester United (Premier League): Match Preview, Team News, Head to Head, How to Watch

Manchester City host the 192^nd edition of the Manchester derby on Sunday afternoon, when they welcome rivals United to the Etihad Stadium.

It is the game every Mancunian spends all week dreading no matter the recent form of their respective side, with three points almost less important than the pride on the line as far as many are concerned.

It has been a couple of successes in recent encounters for the blue half of the city, with the reverse fixture this season ending with a comfortable 0-3 victory at Old Trafford for the blues, and well, we all know what happened the time before that don’t we?

A Manchester derby cup final which took no more than 12 seconds for Manchester City to establish their dominance, when Ilkay Gundogan dragged his side through the battle and won the FA Cup for the club, with two goals in a historic 2-1 victory for the blues.

It is a different story this time, with City chasing down Liverpool who extended their gap at the top of the table back to four points with a win over Nottingham Forest, while United are lurking in and around the European spots, 11 points off Champions League qualification.

Despite the cliché suggesting form goes out the window for these contests, it is a statement Manchester City fans in particular will live by, with the vast majority scarcely aware of the threat of these derbies having grown up on the losing side.

Playing for three points and the pride of the city, Manchester City host Manchester United on Sunday afternoon, and here is everything you need to know about the key fixture this weekend!

Fixture Details

Manchester City welcome bitter rivals Manchester United to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 3rd March, with kick-off scheduled for 15:30 GMT.

Team News

Jack Grealish sustained a heartbreaking reoccurrence of a groin injury against Luton Town on Tuesday night, in a contest that marked his comeback from a similar issue suffered in the UEFA Champions League against FC Copenhagen.

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that his Manchester City side will have a fully-fit squad available this weekend however, barring Jack Grealish, with versatile defensive option Josko Gvardiol ready to return.

Erik Ten Hag isn’t quite as lucky on the other hand, with forward Rasmus Hojlund not ready to return, as well as Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka – who both remain out with short-term injuries.

Mason Mount isn’t ready to return for Manchester United either, while both Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw are still unavailable with long-term issues.

Lisandro Martinez hopes to be ready before the end of the season, though is obviously ruled out for this clash, and Tyrell Malacia is still suffering from an injury sustained last season so is unavailable for this encounter.

Head to Head

Manchester United – perhaps somewhat unsurprisingly – have won more meetings between the sides, with Manchester City’s 60 wins undermined by United’s 78 successes.

The last encounter however between the sides at this ground ended in a 6-3 victory to the home side, with a couple of hat-tricks each for boyhood blues Phil Foden and Erling Haaland.

The aggregate scoreline across the last six derbies is 17-6 in favour of Manchester City.

Statistics

• Manchester United have scored five goals in one encounter between the clubs as their largest victory, whilst City have scored six on three separate occasions, most recently on this ground in 2022.

• Manchester City have scored more goals in the Premier League out of the two, with City’s 77 goals eclipsing the 76 of Manchester United.

• Pep Guardiola has never lost to an Erik Ten Hag side on home soil, with the only defeat against the Dutch manager coming at Old Trafford last season.

How to Watch

For viewers in the United Kingdom, the match will be televised on Sky Sports, with kick-off scheduled for 15:30 GMT.

For viewers in the United States, you can view the match on Peacock, with kick-off scheduled for 12:30 PM. EST.