Old Trafford, and City's perfect start on the line
The 199th Manchester derby is the week's whole story. Old Trafford, kick-off 17:30 (2) (7). City arrive with three wins from three and nine points, second in the table behind Arsenal (3) (14). United arrive with a patchy record and a squad that knows a win would "rocket launch" their season (5).
Enzo Maresca made one change from the Porto win: Elliot Anderson back in for Ayyoub Bouaddi (9). Anderson, Enzo Fernández and Marc Guéhi all play their first Manchester derby (9). Gianluigi Donnarumma starts behind Nunes, Dias, Guéhi and Gvardiol, with Foden, Cherki, Semenyo and Haaland ahead of them (6) (9).
The midfield is the argument
City spent €95m on Ayyoub Bouaddi in the summer (8). He started in Porto and he was replaced for this one. Anderson came in and Bouaddi sat down, which is what happens when you have two players for one role and the European away fixture just told you the second one is ready.
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Bouaddi said during the week that he will give everything for this team and that as a kid you dream about the biggest games (8). He has not been handed one yet.
That is Maresca's reality now. A nine-figure midfielder is a bench option, and a derby debut is a rotation decision. It keeps working while the results keep coming.
Four wins from four is the standard
Bournemouth 2–1. Crystal Palace 1–4. Coventry 1–0. Porto 0–2 (fixtures). Ten league goals scored, two conceded, and a clean sheet in Europe. That is the run Maresca is protecting at Old Trafford.
United know it. Michael Carrick spent his press conference refusing to carry last season's home win into this one, saying you cannot assume the same things will happen again (16). Kobbie Mainoo called it the biggest game of his season and said Carrick's instructions are "gold" (15). Both of them are talking about City as the measuring stick, and that is what four straight wins buys you.
What to watch
Sunderland at home next Sunday, 15:00 (NEXT MATCH). The opponent is not the point. City have Old Trafford and then the Etihad, and the run after that is where a title race takes shape. Get through the derby with the unbeaten record intact and Maresca has a squad where the second-choice midfielder cost €95m and the first-choice defender can be rested.
Lose at Old Trafford and the conversation changes by Monday morning.
