Analysing Manchester United ahead of the 198th Manchester derby

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Manchester City F.C.

·15. Januar 2026

Analysing Manchester United ahead of the 198th Manchester derby

An in-depth look at our cross-city rivals ahead of the latest meeting…

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We go to Old Trafford at 12:30 (UK) on Saturday 17 January for the second Premier League derby of the season.

City ran riot at the Etihad Stadium back in September, with Phil Foden and an Erling Haaland brace earning a 3-0 win.

The Blues go into this game off the back of three successive league draws before wins in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

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That has left us on 43 points from 21 games, six points back from leaders Arsenal.

As well as the three points on offer, a Manchester derby represents so much more.

Ahead of this latest clash, we use Opta data to analyse our opponents…

Recent form

Going into the weekend, Manchester United sit seventh in the Premier League with 32 points from 21 games. That has included eight wins, eight draws and five defeats.

With the congested nature of the division, one victory could see them move into the Champions League spots while they are just three points ahead of 12th.

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In the Premier League, they have won just one match out of the last six, drawing four times and losing to Aston Villa in that period.

Their FA Cup defeat to Brighton on Sunday means they will play 40 matches across all competitions this season, the lowest total since the outbreak of the First World War.

Manager

The departure of Ruben Amorim was major news early in the month, with their former midfielder Michael Carrick now back in the dugout on an interim basis.

This will be Carrick’s second stint as manager at Manchester United, following his three-game spell in November and December 2021 – winning two and drawing one.

Carrick was a fan favourite during his 12 years as a player at Old Trafford, playing 464 times and winning 18 major honours.

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His only permanent managerial role since retiring was with Championship side Middlesbrough, winning 63 of his 136 games in charge.

He left the Riverside in the summer and has now found himself in charge at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future.

Preferred formation

United’s formation was almost set in stone under Amorim, with the Portuguese Head Coach favouring a 3-4-3 system.

In the two matches since his departure, caretaker Darren Fletcher lined up the side in a 4-2-3-1 shape.

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That saw goalkeeper Senne Lammens behind a four-man defence that featured the likes of Diogo Dalot, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez, Patrick Dorgu, Luke Shaw and Ayden Heaven depending on availability.

Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte are seemingly first choices at the base of midfield, with Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko likely names ahead of them.

Both Bryan Mbeumo and Amad will likely be available after being knocked out of the African Cup of Nations at the quarter-final stage.

Head-to-head record

57 of the previous 197 Manchester derbies have come in the Premier League, with United winning 26 and City winning 21.

Of the 28 of those games at Old Trafford, we have won nine and lost 12.

That is more Premier League wins at Old Trafford than any other visiting side, while only Liverpool (41) have scored more goals at Old Trafford than us (37).

How they attack

United’s 36 goals so far is the third most in the Premier League so far, behind only City on 45 and Arsenal with 40.

That’s come from an xG of 38.3, which only City have bettered. The underperformance in finishing (-2.3) is the 15th best across the whole league though, suggesting they’re not matching other sides at the very top end of the pitch.

That chance creation is borne out with a league leading 351 shots so far, averaging 16.7 per match, while they have hit the woodwork 15 times in total – the most in the Premier League.

United tend to start quicker than most, with their 17 goals in the first half bettered only by us.

They’re also incredibly dangerous from set pieces, with 15 goals from free-kicks and corners the second most across all 20 sides.

Mbeumo is their top scorer so far with six strikes, while Bruno Fernandes has contributed five and Casemiro, Cunha and Sesko all have four.

Fernandes remains very creative, with his eight assists so far putting him in pole position for the Playmaker of the Season award.

How they defend

Having let in 32 goals, United’s defence is the 14th best in the division.

That’s come from an xG conceded of just 27, so their underperformance in defence in terms of keeping out chances is the fifth worst across all 20 sides.

29 of those goals have come from inside the box, while seven have been headers.

They are better at keeping opposition out in the first half, conceding just 11 before the break and 21 afterwards.

With 27 yellow cards, United have picked up more bookings than anyone else across the Premier League. They’ve only suffered one sending off though.

Goalkeeper Senne Lammens has played all 15 games since making his debut in early October. His save percentage of 61.1% is 21st out of the 28 goalkeepers to play in the division this season.