SUNDAY afternoon at Old Trafford delivers the first Manchester derby of the season, and the visitors arrive with four straight wins behind them. Erling Haaland already has five goals for the campaign.

Manchester United have been inconsistent. Michael Carrick‘s side lost 2-0 at Hull City, thrashed Ipswich Town 5-2 and then let a lead slip twice at Everton on Sunday, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko scoring before Ainsley Maitland-Niles levelled in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Four points from three games is not the start Carrick wanted, and they play in the Champions League on Thursday night.

Manchester City have won three straight in the league under Enzo Maresca and beat Porto 2-0 on Tuesday, Erling Haaland scoring both from an Enzo Fernandez cross and a Rayan Ait-Nouri assist. Haaland also got the only goal against Coventry City on Saturday.

City’s £125m record signing Fernandez has settled quickly, and 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi impressed on his first start in Portugal.

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The betting angle: Can United’s defence survive Haaland in this mood?

United’s issue is not creating chances. Bruno Fernandes hit the bar at Everton, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw repeatedly got in behind, and they have scored seven in three games. The problem is at the other end, where they have conceded in all three and were collectively asleep for both Everton goals.

City are humming. Maresca has three league wins from three and a controlled European win, Fernandez looks worth every penny of the £125m, and Haaland has five goals already. City also have the calendar in their favour, having played on Tuesday while United are out in Europe on Thursday.

That recovery gap matters in a derby played at this tempo. United’s defensive lapses have cost them points in two of three games, and Haaland is the last striker you want to face when your back line is switching off.

Expect City’s sharper legs and clinical finishing to tell, with United carrying enough threat to make it a contest rather than a rout.

  • Our tip: Manchester City to Win
  • The longshot: Manchester City to win 2-1 & Erling Haaland to score anytime

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📺 How to watch Manchester United vs Manchester City

  • Date: Sunday, 13th September, 2026
  • Kick-off: 4:30pm BST
  • Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
  • TV Channel: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League
  • Highlights: BBC One (Match of the Day), BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Sky Sports App

Read more of our 2026/27 football season tips and predictions

About the author

Craig Mahood

Craig Mahood is an expert in sports betting and online casinos and has worked with the company since 2020. He joined the Betting & Gaming team at The Sun in June 2022 and works closely with the leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to provide content on all areas of sports betting and gaming. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter at the Scottish Sun, covering Scottish football with particular focus on Celtic and Rangers, As well as football, he has covered horse racing, boxing, darts, the Olympics and tennis for the Sun.

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