Man City v Man Utd: City to edge Manchester Derby scrap

City looking to extend unbeaten run

The Premier League is back with a bang after the international break including this 188^th Manchester Derby where Man City are looking to maintain their 19-game unbeaten league run with things looking pretty rosy for Pep Guardiola.

They've drawn a couple but they've won the last seven at the Etihad scoring at least three in each of those, with Erling Haaland slamming in back-to-back hat-tricks at home in a frankly ridiculous start to his City career that would see him score 59 Premier League goals at his current strike rate!

A big problem in dealing with Haaland is that he can hardly touch the ball all game then pop up in devastating fashion - he had just 16 touches against both Palace and Forest yet scored a hat-trick in both.

Kevin De Bruyne has been pulling the strings like never before meaning that City have been able to largely ignore £100m man Jack Grealish as he's admitted to struggling for form - not many teams can do that. City look good as Premier League favourites.

Can Ten Hag's United taste more Etihad glory?

Erik ten Hag takes charge of his first Manchester derby with United fans in the rare position having genuine hope of a result after following those two terrible opening defeats with four straight wins.

Beating Liverpool at Old Trafford was the catalyst, as ten Hag abandoned his preferred possession-based passing style and adopted more of a counter attacking system built around defensive discipline and effort and playing a quick and direct style on the break.

The last five Man Utd managers have lost their first derby, but the Red Devils do have a good recent record at the Etihad winning three of their last four visits - and with 21 away wins no Premier League fixture has seen more in the competition's history.

United are one of the few teams who can match City's spending power, they spent more in the summer than anyone bar Chelsea and have in fact spent more than City since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 yet have finished an average of 17 points behind them over those nine seasons.

Ten Hag's men can move to within two points of City with a win, suggesting he could be the man to finally turn that eye-watering financial outlay into a serious title challenge.

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City favourites for high-priced derby

You'd expect to see some to quality from a game where the two teams could field teams worth a combined £1bn, but I don't think that'll be the plan for ten Hag.

United's new coach will want to follow the Villa formula of trying to pinch a 1-1 rather than the Newcastle formula of going for the jugular during their 3-3 as even with the likes of new signing Antony, the visitors just won't live with Guardiola's side in a shootout.

Six of the last seven meetings have seen under 2.5 goals and both teams to score 'no' come in, but that's not how the bookies see it this time, with under 2.5 the 7/4 outsider of the two and both teams to score the favourite at 13/20.

City are big 1/3 favourites with Man Utd 13/2 for what would be a huge upset victory - the draw at 9/2 might be the limit of their ambition even given their good recent record.

Ten Hag's formula for recent success is work rate, tackling and intensity, and those ingredients certainly worked for Newcastle. They could also work for us in terms of cards and over 2.5 away cards at 5/6 looks a must for your Bet Builders.

Cards could flow but not too many goals

Harry Maguire has been booked in four of the last six derbies, but he won't be starting - his replacement though Lisandro Martinez has been booked twice in six league games, and should've had a couple more, so is worth a look at 15/8.

Joao Cancelo has been booked in three of six derbies and Rodri also has three yellows against Utd and could come up against Casemiro in the United midfield. Both City players are 21/10 for a booking with the Brazilian unsurprisingly the even-money favourite to see yellow.

Haaland has 14 goals in 10 games and is an eye-popping 1/2 shot to score in the derby - he's only 8/1 to score a hat-trick! So it's best saving his customary goal to just add a slight something extra to your Bet Builders.

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Kevin De Bruyne goal or assist, over 2.5 away cards, Rashford to score

14/1

De Bruyne is also as short as you like at Evens for an assist and 1/2 for a goal or assist after being involved in 30 goals in his last 30 starts and with a pretty even distribution of 16 goals and 14 assists.

United look a lot more dangerous with Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and new signing Antony all playing behind a central Marcus Rashford - who is 4/1 anytime scorer and his pace could present him with a chance or two on the break.

City should still get the points, but if United show up like they did against Liverpool, they certainly have enough in their expensively assembled squad to really make the champions work for it.