Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
This fixture earns its match-of-the-round billing largely due to the weight of the names involved and their shared city, rather than any major impact on Manchester United's position in the Premier League standings. The squad's primary motivation at this stage is to derail the ambitions of their local rivals.
Manchester United
And Manchester United are certainly capable of doing just that. Even when not at their best — and it's been a while since they truly were — the team still has the ability to take points off Manchester City. That was the case earlier in the campaign, when they secured a 2:1 victory. At that time, Manchester City were genuinely off-colour, hampered by injuries and frequent changes to their defensive set-up. Amad Diallo proved decisive in that encounter, winning a penalty for Bruno Fernandes and scoring the winner just minutes before the final whistle. However, Amad Diallo has been sidelined for some time now due to injury. Without him — and several other key players — Manchester United suffered a defeat (0:1) away to Nottingham Forest in midweek.
Manchester City
Manchester City, meanwhile, also dropped points against Nottingham Forest earlier in March. Even Erling Haaland failed to register in that match. The Norwegian striker is ruled out of this clash too, having sustained an ankle injury during an FA Cup tie against Bournemouth. He is not expected back before mid-May. Omar Marmoush is currently leading the line, but his finishing has been underwhelming. Of his nine shots on goal (four of which were blocked), he has scored only once — in a 2:0 win over Leicester City earlier this week.
Manchester United vs Manchester City Prediction
This is a must-win situation for Manchester City as they aim to secure a Champions League berth. However, if they do come away with all three points, it is unlikely to be a straightforward affair. Given Omar Marmoush’s inefficiency in front of goal, a high-scoring contest appears improbable.
