Manchester City gear up for their first big match of the 2026-27 Premier League season as city rivals Manchester United host them at the Old Trafford in a high-octane clash on Sunday.
The rivals have endured a contrasting start to life in the new campaign, with City cruising to three wins from three and making an early statement whereas United have struggled for consistency once again, winning, drawing and losing once each in three.
Both teams though, emerged victorious in their respective Champions League games in the midweek to add some wind to their sails ahead of the face-off. Here are three things to watch out for in the Manchester derby for the City fans:
1) City's first real challenge of the season
Manchester City have made a comfortable start to life in the Premier League under new coach Enzo Maresca, winning all three of their fixtures thus far. But the Manchester derby this weekend presents their first real test of the campaign.
The Sky Blues are still only adapting to life under new manager whilst looking to integrate the summer arrivals in a new system under a new coach. So the upcoming visit to Old Trafford is a wonderful opportunity to see where the side stands against the bigger and mightier sides of the league.
2) In-form Haaland faces United's leaky defense
Erling Haaland has shaken off his rusty start to the campaign to score five goals from his last three games in all competitions, including the winner in their 1-0 defeat of Coventry City before another match-winning brace in Porto on Wednesday.
He'd be licking his lips at the prospect of facing a Manchester United side that has been lackluster in defense, conceding twice in each of their first three top-flight matches of the season - an unwanted record not seen since 2020-21 campaign.
3) The return of Nico O'Reilly
Manchester City have been handed a massive boost ahead of their visit to Old Trafford as Nico O'Reilly is set to return after missing their last two games. The defender had been sidelined with a back issue he sustained during a warmup session prior to their Coventry game.
As much as O'Reilly has made the left-back spot his own with exceptional displays, it's unlikely that he will start tomorrow with Josko Gvardiol cementing the void effectively in his absence. Also, Maresca would be cautious against throwing the 21-year-old into the deep end as City have two more games before the season's first international break later this month.
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