On the next 17th of January, the city of Manchester will stop for a day. That Saturday, City and United will go head-to-head in a matchup that could be of paramount importance for the EPL. There will be heavy points at stake and the pride of a city that takes football quite seriously. What will happen on the pitch?
What do the bookmakers think?
Experts’ opinions on the outcome are highly uncertain, although it’s clear that the form of Haaland and his teammates is certainly a factor tipping the odds in their favor. The Citizens have more talent at their disposal and could ride on that to get the win.
However, those who preview an upset and want to bet on a Red Devils coup, taking advantage of free bets, could benefit from more appealing odds, which would reward such a courageous decision. Who knows? The ball is round after all, and could roll in every direction.
How are the two teams from Manchester faring?
While we write this, there is still quite some time before the battle from Manchester. The Citizens appear in better shape. They are second on the EPL table, a couple of points behind Arsenal and very much in the fight for the title.
Erling Haaland is always his amazing self, as everyone can realise simply by reading the scoring statistics that see him leading the scorers’ chart with 17 goals (Manchester City played 16 games so far, so he averages more than 1 goal each game) and Pep Guardiola’s coaching delivers as always. However, Arsenal is playing better and they are rightly ahead of City. The title chase is on for both these teams.
United is considerably behind the leading couple. The Red Devils sit in sixth position with 26 points. They are 10 points behind Arsenal and 8 from Man City. This is obviously not the kind of position their supporters like and expect from one of the most celebrated English teams. The good news is that Amorim seems to know what he’s doing and is trying to build a well-versed side capable of winning by playing as a team. Bruno Fernandes, one of the best players in the team and one of the most complete midfielders in the EPL, leads the league in assists.
The odds are with the Citizens. The bookmakers see Manchester City as the main threat to Arsenal between now and May, while United is not that solid. The rebuilding process is still ongoing and even if the team is growing, there are still a lot of gaps to fill before becoming a true contender.
A Derby etched down in history
Lately, the Manchester Derby has been a Citizens war spoil. Since the new property came in, City built a true powerhouse, capable of winning the vast majority of its games, filling the shelves with trophies and ascend to European football heaven by winning the Champions League. United, instead, moved backwards. After Alex Ferguson left, the Red Devils lost their identity and winning ways.
Over their last 50 meetings, City won 23 times while United triumphed in 21 games. The other 6 matches ended in a tie. These numbers don’t speak of dominance, even if the Citizens won a lot more games and trophies over this time-span. The Manchester Derby is a pretty unique game that sometimes defies logic and shapes. The final outcome could simply celebrate the team who wanted the win more. On paper, Guardiola’s side seems better, but football is not played on paper.
