A Manchester Derby Unlike Any Other

This is the first Manchester Derby in recent memory in which Manchester United sits higher than Manchester City in the table. Don’t read too much into that detail, however. With only three games played, the table is still quite fluid and not necessarily reflective of a team’s performance to date.

Amorim’s Red Devils have four points after their last minute pip over Burnley before the International Break. Without that deus ex machina penalty, they’d have two draws. Pep’s Cityzens got off to a rip-roaring start with 4 – 0 thrashing of Wolverhampton, only to stutter and stall with two subsequent losses to Tottenham and Brighton.

Neither side is playing up to their own expectations, or those of their fervent supporters. In fact, I’m excited for this game PRECISELY to gauge the crowd’s reactions throughout the match.

Manchester City are building around two known injuries, and some question marks. Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush are out, having sustained issues during international play. Phil Foden hasn’t touched the pitch since their loss to Spurs in August; social posts crowing about his and Savinho’s return to training may be premature.

Pep will have to be praying that the Norwegian duo of Oscar Bobb and Erling Haaland produce even a fraction of the goals they heaped upon Moldova last Wednesday.

The expensive 20-year old goalkeeper James Trafford makes way for the almost-as-expensive-but-more-experienced 25-year old in Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Manchester United should give Benjamin Šeško his first start. Is this a bold move? Or simply obvious as Amorim doesn’t really have another striker at his disposal? Expect his performance to be analyzed under a microscope.

With André Onana’s departure to Turkish side Trabzonspor prompting snarky compilation videos of all his mistakes for United, supporters’ ire can now be exclusively focused on Altay Bayındır.

My bold prediction: Casemiro will actually move at a pace faster than a mosey. A not-so-bold prediction: He will also draw a yellow card. Oh, and Bruno Fernandes will pout.

Yes, I’m not going on the record for this one, other than to say it should be a thriller.

Even more exciting will be the fallout from whichever team loses.