Manchester City vs Manchester United LIVE: Premier League team news, line-ups and more today


Manchester City host Manchester United in the headline Premier League fixture on Sunday with derby bragging rights at stake.

Pep Guardiola will be desperate to keep pace with Liverpool and Arsenal in what has been a furious title race so far, while Erik ten Hag is under pressure to prove his worth after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s takeover with an ongoing power struggle at the heart of the Old Trafford club.

The Cityzens ran out 3-0 winners at Old Trafford earlier this season, with an Erling Haaland double and Phil Foden securing a comfortable victory. Ten Hag has been caught up in a bizarre row with Fulham over a social media post appearing to mock captain Bruno Fernandes, while City have found form this week with Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne’s devastating performances at Luton in the FA Cup.

Check out the latest tips and odds for the Manchester derby and find betting sites offers here:

Manchester City v Manchester United – Premier League latest

Kick-off at the Etihad Stadium at 3:30pm GMT, live on Sky Sports

Man City look to close gap on leaders Liverpool

Man Utd aim to boost top-four hopes and keep pace with Aston Villa and Tottenham

Inside the power battles at the heart of the new Manchester United

Manchester City FC – Manchester United FC

Neville – Mainoo a ‘bright light’ for United

13:35 , Ben Fleming

Speaking in the build-up to today’s game, former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville has hailed the impact of Kobbie Mainoo since coming into Erik ten Hag’s side.

“I always think of Mainoo’s first three games away at Goodison Park, St James’ Park and Anfield and he handled it really well,” he said on Sky Sports.

“Him and Casemiro are better together and the results have picked up but I don’t think they’ve stopped enough shots.

“There is still an element of working better together in a defensive sense and it’s a big test today but his first few months have been outstanding and I always think he stands up when Manchester United are struggling in games.”

Late Lucas Digne goal sees Aston Villa snatch win over battling Luton

13:28 , Ben Fleming

Aston Villa maintained their push for a top-four finish in the Premier League as substitute Lucas Digne headed an 89th-minute winner to defeat Luton 3-2 at Kenilworth Road.

Unai Emery’s side looked to have thrown away two points, allowing Luton to fight back from two goals down in the second half, until Digne arrived at the far post to turn Moussa Diaby’s deep cross past Thomas Kaminski and into the net, in front of ecstatic away fans.

The hosts had fought back bravely to level the game at 2-2, Tahith Chong and Carlton Morris scoring after a brace from Ollie Watkins had seemingly put Villa in control at the break.

Defeat for Rob Edwards’ side was their fourth in a row, whilst Villa maintained their five-point lead over Tottenham in the race for the Champions League.

A heartbreaking defeat for the home side:

Late Lucas Digne goal sees Aston Villa snatch win over battling Luton

Tottenham strike in quick succession to return to winning ways against Crystal Palace

13:21 , Ben Fleming

Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways with a 3-1 home victory over Crystal Palace after a dazzling spell of three goals in 11 second-half minutes.

Ange Postecoglou’s team were heading for a second straight defeat when fit-again Eberechi Eze curled home for Oliver Glasner’s side with 59 minutes on the clock.

Substitute Brennan Johnson helped turn the match back in Spurs’ favour, though, with a brilliant assist for Timo Werner’s 77th-minute equaliser before Cristian Romero headed in a second soon after.

Captain Son Heung-min wrapped up the scoring two minutes from time after Johnson had sent him away to earn the hosts a much-needed win in the battle for Champions League qualification.

Tottenham strike in quick succession to return to winning ways against Crystal Palace

Mark Knopfler sees Eddie Howe get a tune out of Newcastle against Wolves

13:14 , Ben Fleming

Eddie Howe managed to get a tune out of his team with rock star Mark Knopfler watching as clinical Newcastle ended Wolves’ three-game winning run.

Knopfler was at St James’ Park to unveil a charity recording of the theme from Local Hero, the song to which the Magpies run out, and witnessed a 3-0 home victory – a first in the Premier League since December 16 – courtesy of Alexander Isak’s 15th goal of the season, Anthony Gordon’s 10th and substitute Tino Livramento’s first for the club.

Head coach Howe, who had spoken of his own musical ability – or more accurately, lack of it – in the run-up to the game, came up with the perfect game plan, sucking Wolves in by allowing them possession and then hitting them on the break in devastating fashion.

The visitors rallied late in the game, but were unable to find a way past keeper Martin Dubravka in front of a crowd of 52,206 at a wintry St James’.

Back to winning ways for the Magpies:

Mark Knopfler sees Eddie Howe get a tune out of Newcastle against Wolves

Rodrigo Muniz on target again as Fulham brush aside Brighton

13:07 , Ben Fleming

Rodrigo Muniz was on the scoresheet again as Fulham claimed an impressive 3-0 win over Brighton at Craven Cottage.

The Brazilian forward claimed his fifth Premier League goal in his last five matches after Harry Wilson’s long-range effort put the Cottagers’ ahead.

Adama Traore came off the bench to score in second-half added time.

Fulham registered their first back-to-back league wins since December after their 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Another impressive display from Marco Silva’s side:

Rodrigo Muniz on target again as Fulham brush aside Brighton

Everton’s on-field woes not solved by reduced points deduction

13:00 , Ben Fleming

West Ham scored twice in stoppage time to come from behind at Goodison Park as a mixed afternoon for Everton striker Beto ended in a 3-1 defeat.

The Portuguese forward’s redemptive goal after missing the Toffees’ first penalty of the season had put his side ahead but his joy was short-lived.

Kurt Zouma equalised within six minutes and then Tomas Soucek, with a brilliant outside-of-the-foot strike in the 91st minute was followed by Edson Alvarez’s breakaway as Everton’s winless run was extended to 10 matches.

A week which began with news of the Toffees’ 10-point deduction being reduced to six, lifting them out of the relegation zone, ended with more recriminations and questions.

Everton’s on-field woes not solved by reduced points deduction

Chelsea fans turn on Mauricio Pochettino after latest disappointing result

12:54 , Ben Fleming

Chelsea fans turned on Mauricio Pochettino as they watched their side labour to a 2-2 draw at west London rivals Brentford.

The Blues were leading through a Nicolas Jackson header but were pegged back by Mads Roerslev’s close-range strike. And shortly after Yoane Wissa put Brentford ahead with a spectacular overhead kick, the away fans began singing the name of former manager Jose Mourinho as well as calling for Pochettino to go.

But the Blues at least rescued a point on Pochettino’s 52nd birthday after Axel Disasi scored a late equaliser.

Report from another disappointing day for the Blues:

Chelsea fans turn on Mauricio Pochettino after latest disappointing result

Darwin Nunez proves status as Liverpool’s man of massive moments to keep Reds’ title fight intact

12:47 , Ben Fleming

Just seconds from the end, Darwin Nunez produced one of those uproarious moments that you might usually say was a sign of where the title is going. The evidence of this season, however, suggests it’s going to need many more of them.

Perhaps the greatest significance of this 99th-minute 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest, beyond the vintage late header of such a classic run-in victory, was that Jurgen Klopp’s side kept persevering despite so many absences. They have kept this form going, and still have a number of stars to come back.

The return of a player who is definitely ascending to that kind of level for supporters was the crucial difference here.

Nunez might still be a source of debate for many other people in football, but there is no doubt the Liverpool fans love him, or that he is clearly now invaluable for these moments. This 99th-minute header kept a tone that was set with that double against Newcastle United back in August.

Miguel Delaney’s report from the City Ground:

Nunez remains Liverpool’s man of massive moments to keep title fight intact

Yesterday’s action

12:40 , Ben Fleming

We’ve still just under three hours until kick-off here at the Etihad Stadium so let’s take a break from build-up to look back on yesterday’s results in the Premier League…

Casemiro – Derby days are ‘meant to be enjoyed’

12:34 , Ben Fleming

Casemiro notched up his first goal of the season against Nottingham Forest in midweek and is now eyeing up an equally important contribution on derby day.

The Brazilian has missed much of the season through injury but, now back in the team, the former Real Madrid midfielder wants his side to savour the occasion on Sunday.

“They’re the games where you notice the fans want the game. The players want the game. The club want the game,’ he told the club’s website.

“I think they’re games and days that are meant to be enjoyed. That’s how I feel. They’re beautiful games. We know that in order to win, if we win that match it’ll boost the team morale and the club morale, especially considering how important it would be for the end of the season.

“But we have to face every match like a final, as if they were all important matches. So I think this is another important match for us.”

Guardiola singles out United key threat

12:25 , Ben Fleming

Ahead of this afternoon’s game, Guardiola has singled out Bruno Fernandes as one of United’s key threats.

The Portuguese international has endured a quieter spell in recent months and has come in for some criticism but the Spanish coach believes he still possesses an abundance of quality.

‘He is an exceptional player,’ Guardiola said. “Especially the consistency to play in every single game and in every single competition.

“I admire him a lot for that. He is a guy that when he has the ball, something is going to happen. In set pieces, in connections with players up front with [Alejandro] Garnacho, with Rashford, all the strikers they have up there.”

Asked if his side will work to specifically nullify Fernandes’ threat, Guardiola said: “Of course, it always has to be like that. Always he can be creating something.”

(AP)

Why is Man City vs Manchester United kicking off at an ‘unusual’ time today?

12:16 , Ben Fleming

Manchester City host Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium as the hosts to bolster their bid for another title with derby day victory – but the match is kicking off at the “unusual” time of 3.30pm GMT.

The clash between the cross-town rivals looked set to take the 4:30pm slot on ‘Super Sunday’, when the standout fixture of the Premier League weekend is usually played.

But the kick-off time has been brought forward by an hour following consultation between the local authorities and broadcasters, with both clubs agreeing to the change.

A statement from Manchester United confirmed: “The unusual start time was agreed following consultation between the clubs, the broadcaster and local authorities.”

It follows the reverse fixture also kicking off an hour earlier than usual in October, while Liverpool’s visit to Old Trafford next month will also kick off at 3:30pm.

Guardiola responds to Ratcliffe comments

12:07 , Mike Jones

When Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of a 25% stake in Manchester United was finalised the Ineos billionaire came out and said that his goal was to ‘knock Man City off the perch’.

Since then Pep Guardiola has had his say believing that this era of the English top flight belongs to his club.

“The 80s was Liverpool, 90s United and now we have won seven Premier Leagues in the last 11 or 12 years,” said Guardiola.

“But in 50 or 60 years there has never been one country where one team always dominates and controls everything. We will try in this organisation to extend this as much as possible for many years.

“Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his people know the diagnosis of their club. I don’t know anything about that club. If they said they need two or three years to be there, who am I to say the opposite?”

How Phil Foden became Man City’s invisible, invaluable talisman

12:00 , Mike Jones

The last time Manchester United visited the Etihad Stadium, Phil Foden achieved a historic feat. He became the first player to score a hat-trick in a Manchester derby for all of nine minutes. Admittedly, until Erling Haaland had completed his own treble, no one else had mustered one in the fixture since Andrei Kanchelskis in 1994.

The last time Manchester City beat Manchester United, Foden was on target and yet overshadowed by Haaland again, scoring the third goal at Old Trafford in October. As he approaches his 12th derby – at 23, it is another indication of how Foden is amassing the numbers of a senior player while still relatively young – it is as a member of the supporting cast again.

How Phil Foden became Man City’s invisible, invaluable talisman

City emulating United

11:50 , Mike Jones

Man City have won five of the last six Premier League titles, while Manchester United’s most recent league title came in 2013 – Sir Alex Ferguson’s final year in charge.

Last year City matched their rivals’ feat from 1998-99 by winning the Treble and are battling to repeat the feat this season by vying for the Premier League title, the Champions League trophy and the FA Cup.

United’s shocking defence

11:42 , Mike Jones

Manchester City have scored a combined 10 goals in their last two home games against Manchester United and are vying for a third consecutive home league win against them for the first time since a run of four wins between 1952 and 1955.

With the Red Devils missing key defenders for this clash it could turn out to be a big scoreline again for Pep Guardiola’s men.

Guardiola sees Ratcliffe praise as an ‘honour’

11:35 , Mike Jones

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says it is a “complete honour” to receive praise from Manchester United’s new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe who claimed City have played some of the best football he had ever seen.

“I just say ‘thank you so much’,” Guardiola said. “Sometimes they are more than the titles, the compliments of the personalities that make this country, like Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments.

“It is a complete honour for us.

“One can produce emotions and feelings for the players and our rivals. That helps to do our job. Thank you so much on behalf of all of us.”

Inside the power battles at the heart of the new Manchester United

11:27 , Mike Jones

Over the past few months, Jean-Claude Blanc has kept a line of dialogue open with Zinedine Zidane. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos and Blanc, the chief executive of its sports arm, have long been admirers of the former Real Madrid manager. That level of Champions League success is naturally what Ineos is aspiring to at Manchester United.

This isn’t to say that Zidane is set to take over at Old Trafford in the summer, but it is a connection the group is naturally keeping open.

It similarly feeds into the feeling around Erik ten Hag’s future. Virtually everyone is saying it is up in the air. Ineos is monitoring everything and consulting, and will make the decision it best sees fit.

Inside the power battles at the heart of the new Manchester United

Manchester derby results

11:18 , Ben Fleming

Manchester City have won five of their last six games in all competitions against Manchester United. Their only loss in that time came in a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford in January 2023.

Ratcliffe’s first Manchester derby

11:08 , Mike Jones

Today’s match is the first Manchester derby since Sir Jim Ratcliffe became a co-owner of Manchester United and took over their footballing operations.

When the deal completed he said he wanted to knock Manchester City “off their perch” within three years and described their 4-0 win over Real Madrid in last season’s Champions League semi-final as “the best football I’ve seen”.

Will Ratcliffe get his wish earlier than expected with a United victory this afternoon?

What’s happening in the title race?

11:00 , Mike Jones

Premier League leaders Liverpool moved four points ahead of Manchester City and ensured their lead would remain in tact following the latest of late winners in their clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

It was a controversial goal following an earlier refereeing error but Darwin Nunez leapt highest in the box to nod home Alexis Mac Allister’s cross and earn Jurgen Klopp’s men a valuable three points.

City are now seeking to close the gap but face a potentially tricky encounter against Manchester United. Though seeming in-and-out of form Erik ten Hag’s men have the capabilities of making things difficult at the Etihad Stadium but they will need to turn up in their best form.

The Red Devils could decide the fate of the Premier League if they take points from City today.

Elsewhere, Arsenal face Sheffield United on Monday night and hope to close the gap on Liverpool as well.

Erik ten Hag demands apology from Fulham over Bruno Fernandes TikTok video

10:49 , Mike Jones

Erik ten Hag has told Fulham that they should apologise for posting a video of Bruno Fernandes that mocked them and insisted they were “totally out of order”.

Fulham put a clip on Tiktok of the Manchester United captain writhing in apparent pain after a challenge by Sasa Lukic during their 2-1 victory at Old Trafford on Saturday with the caption “so glad he’s ok”.

Erik ten Hag demands apology from Fulham over Bruno Fernandes TikTok video

Guardiola warns about Manchester derby emotions

10:41 , Mike Jones

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City must not be distracted by emotions in Sunday’s derby against Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.

City, who won 3-0 at Old Trafford in October, are second in the Premier League, four places above United and four points behind leaders Liverpool whom they are determined to catch.

Any drop in points could be costly in the title race though today’s encounter may not be as easy as first expected. Though City are unbeaten in 18 games, United have lost only once in this calendar year.

“What I learn from my experience in these types of games is to be more calm, relax, don’t talk about many things,” Guardiola said.

“Just focus on tactics and what you have to do to beat them, not about emotions – because emotions will be there, without doubt.”

Man City vs Man Utd prediction

10:32 , Mike Jones

Being the more dominant side in Manchester in recent years, and with home advantage, makes Manchester City the odds on favourites to get a win today. Liverpool’s last-ditch winner against Nottingham Forest also adds to the pressure on Pep Guardiola’s men who will hope to continue their fine form with a spanking victory over their city rivals.

United on the other hand could use this match as a stepping stone to end the season on a high. Victory would propel them into the contest for a top four spot though defeat would leave them 11 points adrift of Aston Villa.

Overall though it is difficult to look past the reigning Premier League champions who should cruise to a comfortable victory.

Manchester City 3-1 Manchester United.

Man City vs Man Utd predicted line-ups

10:23 , Mike Jones

Though both managers have injuries in their squads to deal with, the teams should be fairly strong this afternoon. City will have the edge in terms of quality especially as United’s defence looks far from stable.

Here’s how we see the teams lining up today:

Manchester City XI: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Ake; Rodri, Stones; Silva, Kovacic, De Bruyne, Foden; Haaland.

Manchester United XI: Onana; Dalot, Varane, Evans, Lindelof; Mainoo, Casemiro; Eriksen, Fernandes, Garnacho, Rashford

Early team news for Man City vs Man Utd

10:15 , Mike Jones

Manchester City will be without Jack Grealish, who Pep Guardiola fears will not be back until after the international break later this month.

Erik ten Hag should have an unchanged squad from which to pick, having allayed injury fears around Bruno Fernandes and Raphael Varane by declaring both fit to feature. Tyrell Malacia, Anthony Martial, Lisandro Martinez, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are all unavailable, while Rasmus Hojlund will be back later in March from a muscular problem.

How to watch Manchester derby on TV

10:07 , Mike Jones

The Manchester derby will kick off at 3.30pm GMT on Sunday 3 March at the Etihad Stadium.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage on the channels from 3pm. Subscribers can also stream the action via Sky Go.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider.

Inside the power battles at the heart of the new Manchester United

10:00 , Mike Jones

ver the past few months, Jean-Claude Blanc has kept a line of dialogue open with Zinedine Zidane. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos and Blanc, the chief executive of its sports arm, have long been admirers of the former Real Madrid manager. That level of Champions League success is naturally what Ineos is aspiring to at Manchester United.

This isn’t to say that Zidane is set to take over at Old Trafford in the summer, but it is a connection the group is naturally keeping open.

It similarly feeds into the feeling around Erik ten Hag’s future. Virtually everyone is saying it is up in the air. Ineos is monitoring everything and consulting, and will make the decision it best sees fit.

That will, of course, be based on much more than one game but last weekend’s home defeat to Fulham was all the more unfortunate given it came at a crucial time, just before Sunday’s Manchester derby. The 2-1 loss was all the worse since it felt such an abrupt regression when everything had been going much better.

Inside the power battles at the heart of the new Manchester United



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