Ahead of our last international break of 2021, the English Premier League has presented us with a mouth-watering derby that comes to us when the time feels right for the drama it will inevitably bring. We’ll have a break to digest everything in the game, but the fallout from Saturday’s Manchester derby is bound to last long into next week regardless of the result.
The season has been building to this point, it seems. The mood on either side of the rivalry could not be more contrary, and everything is poised for the big-ticket hype that will surround the match. And there are some other great contests to loo forward to as well!
We begin at the Theatre of Dreams, in what will be a massive game for these two proud clubs and the Premier League as a whole. Here we go!
Old Trafford plays host to a highly-anticipated Premier League derby on Saturday lunchtime, as Manchester United welcome Manchester City to the Theatre of Dreams.
Two places and three points separate the bitter rivals in the table at present, with one manager certainly under more pressure than his counterpart this week.
Having managed to pull themselves out of their rut - at least for now - with victory at Spurs, Man United are hanging on to their fifth-placed position in the table after 10 matches, but Arsenal are now only behind Solskjaer’s men on goal difference.
Despite posting two EFL Cup wins against their rivals in recent years, City are winless in four Premier League Manchester derbies - failing to score in any of their last three - but not many United fans will be placing bets on their side’s hot streak continuing on Saturday.
Manchester United have defensive issues ahead of their Premier League derby clash with Manchester City at Old Trafford.
Raphael Varane faces four to five weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury suffered during the Champions League game against Atalanta, while Victor Lindelof faces a fitness test on the knock that forced him to miss Tuesday’s 2-2 draw.
Paul Pogba serves the second game of a three-match domestic ban but Fred should return in midfield after being benched in Italy.
Man City centre-back Aymeric Laporte is suspended after being sent off in last week’s loss to Crystal Palace.
Manager Pep Guardiola will also check on Kyle Walker after the England full-back suffered a foot injury against Club Brugge on Wednesday. Winger Ferran Torres (foot) is City’s only other notable absentee.
Manchester United are unbeaten in their last four league games against Man City (W3 D1), their longest such run against them since a run of six between 2008 and 2011.
Manchester City have won seven Premier League away games against Manchester United, the joint-most of any team at Old Trafford in Premier League history (also Liverpool with seven wins).
Man Utd have won three of their last four league games against Man City, as many as in their previous 16 against them. They’ve also kept three consecutive clean sheets against the Citizens in the Premier League, as many shutouts as they’d recorded in their previous 18 against them.
Manchester United have lost seven home matches in all competitions in 2021, their most since 2001 when they also lost seven. They haven’t lost more than seven at home in a single year since 1989 (eight).
Manchester United have conceded at least once in each of their last 13 home games in all competitions. Only twice have they had a longer run without a home clean sheet in their history - 21 games between April 1958 and March 1959 and 14 between September 1954 and February 1955.
Manchester City have failed to score in three of their 10 Premier League games this season, already as many as they had in the whole of 2020-21. However, the Citizens have never failed to score in the 12.30 Saturday kick-off slot since it became a regular fixture in the Premier League in 2016-17 (23 games).
Manchester United are the only side yet to score a Premier League goal from a set-piece situation this season, while Man City are one of two sides yet to concede from a set-piece this term (also Wolves, excluding penalties).
Chelsea will be bidding to make it eight straight wins in all competitions when they continue their Premier League campaign at home to Burnley on Saturday afternoon.
The Blues are currently top of the table, picking up 25 points from their opening 10 matches, while Burnley occupy 18th, having collected just seven points from their first 10 games of 2021-22.
Chelsea have won each of their last four matches at Stamford Bridge, while they have won their last four Premier League games against Burnley, scoring 12 times and conceding just twice in the process.
Mason Mount could still feature in Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Burnley despite struggling with infected wisdom teeth. Marcos Alonso will miss out with an ankle problem, but Christian Pulisic and N’Golo Kante should be in action.
Mateo Kovacic (thigh), Romelu Lukaku (ankle) and Timo Werner (thigh) are all still sidelined.
Burnley winger Aaron Lennon is a doubt due to a bout of illness. Otherwise, boss Sean Dyche looks set to have the same group of players to choose from as he did for last weekend’s 3-1 win over Brentford.
Dale Stephens is still not yet ready to make his first-team return after injury.
Burnley have won just one of their 14 Premier League games against Chelsea (D3 L10). However, five of the six points they’ve won in the competition against the Blues have come at Stamford Bridge (W1 D2 L4).
3 vs. Brugge
