Premier League: Manchester City VS Manchester United: Probable lineup, prediction

Manchester City has the second position in the standings with a game remaining after Arsenal won their North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur with a dominating offensive performance.

Now, if the defending champions want to reclaim the top spot, they must be at their best against the Red Devils, now led by Erik Ten Hag.

The Red Devils (4-0-2) have recovered from a terrible start that had new manager Erik ten Hag under scrutiny. They are fifth in the English Premier League standings, six points behind league-leading Arsenal with a game in hand.

Manchester City was in good form before the international break, while United have won four consecutive games after overcoming a sluggish start but are currently five points behind their rivals.

Last season's Manchester derbies were forgettable for United, who were defeated 2-0 at home and 4-1 at the Etihad. The city will be hopeful of another dominant performance, especially with the seemingly unstoppable Erling Haaland up top.

Head-to-head: Manchester City has 57 wins over their Manchester rivals, whereas United has 77 wins. Meanwhile, 53 of the games have resulted in a draw.

Manchester United Predicted lineup

Cristiano Ronaldo's lack of goals should concern Manchester United's manager. Still, the Portuguese superstar typically chooses the most significant moments to assert his dominance, and he could play a more substantial part on Sunday.

Marcus Rashford was named September's Player of the Month, and with the 2022 FIFA World Cup approaching, the English attacker will need to demonstrate his skill more frequently.

With Jadon Sancho finally freeing himself from his constraints, ten Hag will have a talented squad capable of wreaking havoc on Manchester City's soil.

Harry Maguire experienced a difficult time with England, culminating in his return to Manchester United with a hamstring injury. Still, Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez were always expected to pair up at the back.

Martin Dubravka, Donny van de Beek, Brandon Williams, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka pose an additional plethora of injury problems for Manchester United. At the same time, Hag faces another selection headache in Casemiro and Scott McTominay, with the former vying for a starting spot.

Predicted lineup: De Gea, Antony, Fernandes, Sancho, Rashford, Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Malacia, Casemiro, Eriksen

Manchester City predicted lineup

John Stones has been ruled out for this match, a setback for the defending champs. Pep Guardiola will finally have his trusted soldier Aymeric Laporte back after a protracted struggle with an injury, albeit the Spanish international will likely start on the bench.

Manchester City has plenty of midfielders despite the absence of Kalvin Phillips, who underwent shoulder surgery and will be out for the season.

Given his lengthy absence, Laporte will likely be limited to minutes as a substitute as Manuel Akanji, and Ruben Dias continue in the middle of the defence.

Guardiola is covered at right-back in Stones' absence due to Kyle Walker's return to fitness. At the same time, Haaland might become the first player to score a hat-trick in three Premier League home matches this weekend.

Predicted lineup: Ederson, Foden, Haaland, Grealish, Walker, Akanji, Dias, Cancelo, Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne

Manchester United VS Manchester City

As impressive as Man United's recent resurgence has been, two of their goals against Arsenal were granted to them by a sloppy Arsenal defence, and Ten Hag has some fitness and forms concerns over his forward line.

Manchester United has much space for development, and the home team is the favourite in this matchup. In a worthy contest, Manchester City will emerge victorious.

Final prediction: Manchester City 2-1 Manchester United

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