Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set for one of his biggest tests of his Old Trafford reign in the first Manchester derby of the season.
The Norwegian found his job hanging by a thread the last time Manchester United played host to one of their biggest rivals as they fell to a 5-0 defeat to Liverpool last month.
The Red Devils bounced back with a 3-0 win over Tottenham last weekend.
But the clash with Man City will be a true test of whether they have turned a corner.
United do have a good recent Premier League record against their noisy neighbours.
However, having not lost in the top-flight since April 2019.
City also go into the derby having suffered a shock loss at home to Crystal Palace at the weekend.
The Premier League clash will take place this weekend on Saturday, November 6.
Old Trafford will host the first Manchester derby of the campaign and kick-off is at 12:30pm.
Man United v Man City: Team news
United defender Raphael Varane is expected to be sidelined for up to a month with a hamstring injury.
The home side are also sweating on the fitness of Victor Lindelof with the centre-back suffering an injury in training on Monday.
Paul Pogba also won’t be available, with the midfielder set to serve the second of his three game ban for his red card against Liverpool.
City, meanwhile, will also be without a suspended player after Aymeric Laporte was sent off in the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Ferran Torres is still nursing a foot injury picked up on international duty with Spain but teenage striker Liam Delap is available once more.
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Man United v Man City: Match facts
- Manchester United are unbeaten in their last four league games against Man City (W3 D1), their longest such run against them since a run of six between 2008 and 2011.
- Manchester City have won seven Premier League away games against Manchester United, the joint-most of any team at Old Trafford in Premier League history (also Liverpool with seven wins).
- Man Utd have won three of their last four league games against Man City, as many as in their previous 16 against them. They’ve also kept three consecutive clean sheets against the Citizens in the Premier League, as many shutouts as they’d recorded in their previous 18 against them.
- Manchester United have lost seven home matches in all competitions in 2021, their most since 2001 when they also lost seven. They haven’t lost more than seven at home in a single year since 1989 (eight).
- Manchester United have conceded at least once in each of their last 13 home games in all competitions. Only twice have they had a longer run without a home clean sheet in their history – 21 games between April 1958 and March 1959 and 14 between September 1954 and February 1955.
- Manchester City have failed to score in three of their 10 Premier League games this season, already as many as they had in the whole of 2020-21. However, the Citizens have never failed to score in the 12.30 Saturday kick-off slot since it became a regular fixture in the Premier League in 2016-17 (23 games).
- Manchester United are the only side yet to score a Premier League goal from a set-piece situation this season, while Man City are one of two sides yet to concede from a set-piece this term (also Wolves, excluding penalties).
- Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær has won four of his eight meetings with Man City boss Pep Guardiola in all competitions, the best win rate of any manager to face the Spaniard at least five times (50%).
- Man Utd’s Cristiano Ronaldo has scored three goals in his last five Premier League Manchester derbies, with his last goal in his first stint at the Red Devils coming against Man City in May 2009.
- There have been eight red cards in 48 Premier League Manchester derby matches, with Man Utd’s Cristiano Ronaldo the only player to have been sent off more than once in the fixture (January 2006 and November 2008).
- Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling has faced Manchester United more than he has any other opponent in his club career in all competitions (23). However, Sterling is yet to score against the Red Devils, despite playing 1662 minutes and having 38 shots (15 on target) in these games.
- Phil Foden has been directly involved in 14 goals in his last 16 away Premier League matches for Manchester City (11 goals, 3 assists), scoring in consecutive away games four times in that run but never three in a row. The only Man City player aged 21 or younger to score in three away consecutive Premier League appearances was Gabriel Jesus between March and May 2018 (four in a row).
Man United v Man City: reactions
Man United defender Luke Shaw:
“We have to keep this attitude. I think just because we beat Spurs 3-0.
And we picked up a point [against Atalanta], we can’t put our heads down, we can’t get comfortable.
“We can’t think, ‘Ah, look, we’ve done it now, we’ve got out of our rut and everything’s perfect, everything’s fine’. It’s not.
“We know we need to dig deep. We know we’re not in a good situation, we know what we’ve been doing hasn’t been good enough.
“As a team we’ve talked about that inside the dressing room.
So the games didn’t come any easier, so we need to be ready for this one because it’s at home and it’s a big game.”
Man City boss Pep Guardiola:
“The people were taking the p*** out of me saying [the Club Brugge game] was more important than United – and it was.
“But now the most important game ever is Man United.
“The schedule is the schedule, sometimes we play Tuesday, sometimes Friday. Sometimes it is 12.30 or sometimes 5.30pm.
“I am pretty sure at 12.30 on Saturday we will be at Old Trafford.
“When you are Manchester City you realise nobody helps you – no one.”
