- Manchester City have led after 30 minutes in five of the last six derbies
- Erling Haaland has scored five goals in four derby appearances and eight goals in his last six games overall
- Recommended Bet: Man City to lead after 30 minutes

The second Manchester derby of the campaign brings with it a familiar story as City vie for the Premier League title and United bid to salvage some pride from a lost season.

Pep Guardiola's squad are chasing silverware on three fronts again heading into the spring, but cannot afford any slip-ups in an increasingly tight race for domestic supremacy.

On Wednesday, City slammed six goals past Luton in the FA Cup with Erling Haaland grabbing five in a timely tune up for the Norwegian hitman.

Meanwhile, United needed a late header from Casemiro to edge past Nottingham Forest and extend their winning streak away from home to six matches. 

Team news

Guardiola played a relatively strong side at Kenilworth Road in an apparent bid to get the job done before resting key starters for Sunday's clash.

His plan backfired slightly when Jack Grealish sustained a groin injury that looks set to rule him out for a few weeks. The winger joins defender Josko Gvardiol (ankle) on the sidelines, but City are otherwise in rude health.

As for United, Erik ten Hag must decide who to deploy at left-back after Sofyan Amrabat fared better in that role than Victor Lindelof had done in the previous weekend's 2-1 home defeat to Fulham.

Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, Anthony Martial, Mason Mount, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Rasmus Hojlund are all unavailable again.

The stats

City have scored in each of their last 54 home matches in all competitions and a goal on Sunday would see Guardiola's team equal their club-record streak of 55 successive home games with a goal, set between January 2012 and January 2014.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils suffered their 10th loss of the Premier League season at home to Fulham last week — in only two Premier League campaigns (2013-14 and 2021-22) have they lost more games (both 12).

And against no team has Haaland scored more Premier League goals than his five against United with only Sergio Aguero (eight) having ever netted more for the Citizens in Manchester derbies. 

Prediction

City enter this game in stunning form with 16 wins and two draws from their last 18 matches in all competitions, albeit the fact that the two stalemates were at the Etihad Stadium could offer some comfort to United.

However, it really should not because while City can sometimes take their time to hone in on their opponents' weaknesses, they have usually discovered and exploited them in quick time when it comes to derbies.

City took the lead inside the first minute in last season's FA Cup Final — one of five occasions in the last six derbies that they have established a lead by the half-hour mark.

And, having regained his killer touch with a five-goal blast at Luton in midweek, Haaland looks likely to be the man to break the deadlock.

The ex-Borussia Dortmund striker has opened the scoring in seven of the last 15 games he has started for City, and he also looks worthy of consideration at 5/2 with LiveScore Bet to be the game's first goalscorer .

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