Who: Manchester United vs Manchester City
Content: English Premier League
Location: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
When: Saturday, January 17th, 12:30pm (12:30 GMT)
How to follow: All content will be broadcast on Al Jazeera Sports from 09:30 GMT, ahead of the text commentary stream.
Michael Carrick will step into the dugout for the first time as Manchester United’s caretaker manager in Saturday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford, tasked with stabilizing a side that has once again stumbled through a harsh winter and a change of manager.
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City have overcome a period of frustration that saw them collapse in their title defense last season and are once again contenders for Premier League glory.
Al Jazeera Sports covers one of world soccer’s biggest matches, featuring contrasting rivalries.
How did Manchester United perform in the Premier League this season?
United sit seventh in the table with one win from their last six league games, but with last week’s FA Cup defeat added to the mix, the mood in Manchester’s red side is flat.
However, the arrival of Carrick following the sacking of Ruben Amorim provided a glimmer of hope.
The former midfielder, who won a full set of major trophies as a United player, gives no impression of being overwhelmed by the situation.
“I feel like I’m in a really good place to be here. It feels very natural, very normal, to be honest,” he said this week, “and I understand the job, what it entails and the responsibilities of it.”
What experience does Carrick bring to the Manchester United job?
Carrick went unbeaten in three games as United’s caretaker manager in 2021, but his only experience as a long-term manager was with Middlesbrough in the second division from 2022 to 2025.
His contract runs until the end of the season as United give themselves time to select a candidate in a bid to end more than a decade of slump. Carrick has a chance to play in the slot with 17 games remaining this term.
Carrick is hoping to put a smile on the faces of the fans who jeered at the final whistle when United were eliminated from the FA Cup by Brighton last week.
“I was so excited that I wanted to leave my seat,” he said. “I want to enjoy watching the players play and of course there has to be a result. I want to get into the game and see what I can do, so you can feel my enthusiasm for that.”
After City, United face Arsenal. It was quite the start for Amorim to take on a role that looks increasingly like an impossible task for a coach with little experience at this level, after he became the sixth coach or manager to step in since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
How have Man City fared in the Premier League this season?
Josep Guardiola’s Manchester City appear to be returning to near their best. However, the team, which has won an unprecedented four consecutive Premier League titles, still has a ways to go.
City are second in the league, six points behind Arsenal, despite drawing three games in a row.
They are still aiming for four trophies and cannot rule out a similar winning streak to the one they won in 2023 when they won five trophies.
Indeed, City emerged with their own unique storyline, headlined by January signing Antoine Semenyo.
Two games, two goals and his own chants from the Etihad faithful, Semenho has injected unpredictability into Guardiola’s well-oiled machine.
City lost valuable points in the title race with three draws, but recent form suggests they are rediscovering their ruthless dominance, having thrashed League One side Exeter City 10-1 in the FA Cup and beaten Newcastle United 2-0 in the League Cup semi-final on Tuesday.
What happened the last time United played City in the Manchester derby?
City defeated Amorim’s United 3-0 in the first Premier League match of the season in September.
City’s goal machine Erling Haaland scored two goals in the match at the Etihad Stadium, with Phil Foden scoring another.
What happened in the corresponding match last season?
Last season’s Premier League match at Old Trafford ended in a crushing 0-0 defeat on April 6th.
United had already been out of contention for Champions League qualification for a long time, but City’s place at the top table of European football remained in doubt.
United also had their eyes on the Europa League final against Tottenham, which they ultimately lost.
When was the last time United beat City in a Manchester derby?
United’s last derby victory was last season, when they won 2-1 in a Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium.
City took the lead in the first half through Josko Gvardiol’s goal with two minutes left in the game, but Amorim’s best moment came after that.
Amad Diallo scored a late equalizer to the delight of the away supporters, but excitement soon turned into excitement when Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty in stoppage time.
direct confrontation
This is the 197th Manchester derby, the first being played in England’s old second division in 1894, with City and United winning 5-2.
Overall, United won 79 times and City took the spoils 62 times.
manchester united team news
Harry Maguire is back fit and Brian Mbeumo and Amad Diallo return from African Cup of Nations duty, adding depth to a squad that looked weak.
Nousser Mazraoui remains in the AFCON for Sunday’s final against Morocco, but defender Matthijs de Ligt is injured and forward Shay Lacey is suspended after receiving a second yellow in last weekend’s FA Cup defeat to Brighton.
Manchester United expected lineup
Rammen. Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw. Casemiro, Mainu. Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha. Sesco
Manchester City team news
Guardiola expects Omar Marmouche to return from AFCON and take some of the attacking load for an “exhausted” Haaland. Marmouche’s Egypt lost 1-0 to Senegal in the AFCON semi-final on Wednesday, but City will have to wait for the forward’s return until after Saturday’s match for third place in the tournament.
Haaland, who is once again top of the Premier League scorers with 20 goals, played the entire game on Tuesday, including 10 minutes of stoppage time. However, he has not scored in an exhibition match since December 20, in a 3-0 win against West Ham United.
Guardiola said on Tuesday: “Erling is tired so I hope Omar can come back soon and give Erling a rest.”
Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Oscar Bobb and Sabinho are all absent due to injury.
Manchester City expected lineup
Donnarumma. Nunez, Kusanov, Alleyne, O’Reilly. Rhodri. Bernardo, Cherki, Foden, Semenyo. haaland
