Manchester City head into the match as one of just two unbeaten sides in the Premier League this season.
Manchester United, meanwhile, had a slow start but have begun to improve under their new coach.
Ahead of the game, 101GreatGoals have ranked both club’s seasons to date.
📰 Table Of Contents
Summer business
Manchester City: A+
Manchester United: B –
Manchester City had a pretty perfect summer transfer window. They finally signed a Sergio Aguero replacement, with Erling Haaland already on 14 goals for the campaign.
City also sold a number of players to give them a net spend of around +£18m.
Manchester United, meanwhile, had a good summer and strengthened in some important areas.
However, they still need a goalkeeper, striker and right-back. The Red Devils also have a net spend of around -£200m
Season so far
Manchester City: B+
Manchester United: C+
City are second in the Premier League and yet to lose a game. However, the Sky Blues have had a fairly easy run so far and still managed to drop points vs Newcastle and Aston Villa, with the result vs Steven Gerrard and co. particularly disappointing.
Manchester United, on the other hand, had a dismal start to the season that saw them lose to Brighton at Old Trafford for the first time and go 4-0 down to Brentford in the first half.
They have since bounced back, though, and picked up wins over Liverpool and Arsenal.
Managers
Manchester City: A
Manchester United: B
Pep Guardiola remains at the very top of the game. His Man City side are sure to win the Premier League again. And whilst many doubted Erling Haaland would excel under a manager who often prefers to play without a striker, Pep has quickly altered his team to benefit the Norwegian.
Ten Hag’s first two games for United showed his naivety to the English game and just how bad some of his players are.
But to his credit, after two games, Ten Hag altered his side and has now largely fixed United’s inability to deal with a high press. His decision to move Christian Eriksen into a deep-lying playmaker role was also a smart one.
Key player
Erling Haaland: A+
Christian Eriksen: B –
Erling Haaland has scored 14 goals in nine games this season and whilst City have dropped points, there is a strong case to be made that without Haaland, they would have lost to Crystal Palace, like they did last season.
The Norwegian is simply unplayable and is sure to go down as one of the greatest ever strikers if he can avoid injury.
United are still finding their feet under Ten Hag, but Christian Eriksen has been key to their success this term.
The Dane was caught out defensively early on in his new role, but he has since become a key cog in Man United’s team, connecting defense and attack with his seamless passing.
Overall winner: Manchester City
Manchester City outranked Manchester United in every category, which is to be expected given City are a very well-run club, have a world-class manager and their transfer business was excellent this past summer.
Manchester United, though, are beginning to improve and form a proper identity under Ten Hag, but some of the players in their dressing room and their lack of structure at board level continues to impact their ability to return to the glory days.
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