United preview | city away

A Manchester derby that could prove to be a sliding doors moment for manager Ruben Amorim

After an inconsistent start to the season, we travel to East Manchester looking to carry on our positive form against them from the last campaign

Author | Olivia T

Last time away at city

Manchester United head into the 197th derby with the chance to record back-to-back wins at the Etihad Stadium for the first time since 2020.

Ruben Amorim and his players should know the scale of the challenge. Manchester City looked ominously sharp at the start of the new campaign, before slipping up against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Will new keeper Lammens start?

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim faces a significant decision over his choice of goalkeeper for the weekend fixture.

With André Onana moving to Trabzonspor, Amorim must weigh up between Altay Bayindir and recent arrival Senne Lammens. The Belgian, signed from Antwerp for £18.1m on deadline day, could be handed an immediate debut given Bayindir’s struggles this season.

Should Lammens be selected, he would become only the sixth player to make his Premier League debut for United in this particular match, and the first goalkeeper. The fixture has previous for landmark moments, with Eric Cantona making his United bow against Manchester City almost 33 years ago. Only Cantona and Phil Neville have marked the occasion with victory.

Throwback to the away end in 2010

Other team news

Our only confirmed long-term absentee is Lisandro Martinez, who is recovering from a cruciate ligament injury suffered in February.

Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount both left the pitch with problems in United’s final game before the international break, and Ruben Amorim confirmed afterwards that the pair would need to be assessed. We are waiting for an update on their availability this week, with Diogo Dalot also a concern after pulling out of Portugal’s squad during the break because of a muscle issue.

How are we looking?

We have shown some signs of promise in the opening weeks of the season, even if the results haven’t reflected that. An encouraging display against Arsenal on the first weekend brought no reward, and despite more bright moments at Fulham, only a single point was collected from the first two matches. The less said about Grimsby in the EFL Cup, the better

Back at Old Trafford, an energetic first half against Burnley saw the Reds create a host of chances but go into the break with just a one-goal lead. Scott Parker’s side made them pay, equalising twice to set up a tense finale. It took a 97th-minute penalty from Bruno Fernandes to finally settle matters, sealing victory and nudging United above City in the Premier League table.