A look ahead to the Manchester Derby
Image credit: Getty Images
Football is back following Queen Elizabeth II’s untimely death and the international break. The Premier League returns tomorrow, and some good-looking matches will get any soccer fans ready for the weekend.
In London, The Gunners are taking on Harry Kane and the Spurs, Newcastle is going up against Fulham, and Wolves are taking on West Ham. However, probably the most exciting matchup is the Manchester Derby. That’s right, The Citizens and The Red Devils will be going toe to toe tomorrow at the Etihad Stadium in the first matchup between the two teams this season. So many things are expected from this game, with hype on both sides.
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been red hot and an immediate impact since joining this summer. Over on the red side of Manchester, United has gotten off to a slow start to the season but has been picking up the pace more recently. In their last EPL match, they beat Arsenal 3-1. Both teams have good pieces to their unit to keep them ready to compete on Sunday. So let’s look at what both teams have to offer and who will likely win after kick-off.
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Manchester City
In the blue corner, being established back in 1887, is Manchester City. The team did not see great success until the 2010s after billionaires from Saudi Arabia bought them out. Since then, Man City has become one of the biggest powerhouses in Europe.
They rarely miss the Champions League and have won the EPL title five times in the last 10 years, including four of the last five seasons. Their success has attracted some of the world’s greatest talents to Manchester, including Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, Joao Cancelo, and most recently, the next-generation superstar Haaland.
City has been elite in England and Europe this season and has not lost a single game in both competitions, making them one of the deadliest teams in Europe. Now with Haaland, it’s safe to say that every team that might face them should look out because City is on a mission to win the treble.
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Manchester United
In the red corner, being established in 1878, is Manchester United. Even people who are not huge soccer fans have heard of Manchester United. They are arguably the most famous soccer team on Earth. This team has won the most EPLs, five FA cups, and two Champions League titles, making it one of Europe’s most decorated teams.
However, since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as manager in 2013, the club has not seen as much success. The last Premier League title for the Red Devils was back in 2012. Since then, it’s been turbulent, to say the least, with a revolving door of managers and players that haven’t quite panned out like Paul Pogba, Alexis Sánchez, and Harry Maguire.
But despite their recent struggles, manager Erik ten Hag is trying to bring the glory days back to the red side of Manchester. Players like Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, David De Gea, Jaden Sancho, and new signing Antony are ready to bring the good times back to Old Trafford. They are long overdue, considering it’s been since 2017 since the team last got any silverware, and the club is historically known for winning trophies.
Verdict
Sunday should bring us another classic Manchester Derby and will be an action-packed game till the final whistle. However, with the pace City has been going recently, it would appear that all fingers are pointing towards another City victory in the Manchester Derby.