Pre-match information
Manchester United's new interim coach, Michael Carrick, will have a challenging debut when the "Red Devils" welcome their city rival Manchester City at Old Trafford.
This confrontation is predicted to be tense and emotional, completely opposite to the lackluster 0-0 draw between the two teams in April last year.
8 days after sacking Ruben Amorim, Man United's board of directors has officially handed over the leadership of the team to former captain Carrick until the end of the season. This is the second time the 44-year-old strategist has sat in the hot seat at Old Trafford, after a 3-match temporary spell at the end of 2021, where he left a positive mark with two wins and one draw.
Creating an immediate impact in 2 consecutive matches against Man City and the leading team Arsenal is considered a great challenge for Carrick right from the start of his interim term.
In the first leg at the Etihad in September, Man United suffered a 0-3 defeat to Man City. Notably, the "Red Devils" have never missed scoring in both Premier League matches against city rivals since the 1973-1974 season - the campaign ended with their relegation.
After a disappointing start to 2026 with 3 consecutive draws in the Premier League, Man City immediately reacted strongly. Pep Guardiola's team crushed Exeter City 10-1 in the third round of the FA Cup last weekend, before winning an important 2-0 victory right on Newcastle United's field in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
Newcomer Antoine Semenyo has integrated almost perfectly after a £64 million deal from Bournemouth. The Ghanaian winger scored 2 goals, and also won the Player of the Match award in both of his first appearances for Man City.
In all competitions, Man City is on a 13-match unbeaten streak (10 wins, 3 draws), of which they have not lost in their last 9 Premier League matches (6 wins, 3 draws). However, Guardiola's team still faces a not-so-simple task when having to equalize the 6-point gap with league leaders Arsenal in the context that there are still 17 rounds ahead of the season.
