Fourth Matchweek Manchester Derby: Can MU Stop Man City's Perfect Unbeaten Run?

The Manchester Derby returns for the 2026/27 English Premier League fixture schedule. Manchester United will host their cross-city rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday, 13 September 2026, kick-off at 22.30 WIB.

This fourth matchweek Premier League fixture poses a major test for Manchester United, as Manchester City arrive in perfect form having won all three of their opening matches this season.

The Citizens currently sit second in the provisional league standings with nine points. Meanwhile, Manchester United have only collected four points from three matches and remain positioned 13th in the table.

This situation places Manchester City as the clear pre-match favourites. However, home advantage will act as a critical asset for United as they look to mount a competitive challenge and improve their league ranking.

Manchester United Squad Status

Manchester United are still managing injury concerns ahead of the derby, with multiple players confirmed unavailable or not at full match fitness.

Luke Shaw, Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte and Amad Diallo remain sidelined. Carlos Baleba will also be unavailable for selection for the Red Devils.

This situation forces manager Michael Carrick to adapt his team selection, most notably when constructing his front line.

Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha are the two attacking options under evaluation. Carrick must decide whether to field one player as the lone striker, or deploy both forwards alongside each other.

This selection call will form one of the core strategic decisions for Manchester United when breaking down Manchester City's defence.

More Stable Conditions For Manchester City

In the Manchester City camp, squad availability is far more favourable. While Jeremy Doku is still not fully recovered, all other regular first team players are fit and available for selection.

With three wins from three matches, City travel to Old Trafford carrying very high match confidence.

Their primary threat remains their forward line led by Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker poses a major danger to United's defence, particularly if he receives consistent service from midfield and the wide areas.

City also possess creative playmakers such as Rayan Cherki who can provide attacking variation against the cautious defensive setup United are expected to deploy.

Predicted Starting Lineups

Manchester United: Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Tielemans, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko.

Manchester City: Donnarumma; Nunes, Guehi, Dias, Gvardiol; Anderson, Fernandez; Semenyo, Cherki, Ndiaye; Haaland.

Which Team Holds The Advantage?

Judging by performance across the first three matches of this Premier League season, Manchester City hold a far more convincing position.

Nine points from three fixtures demonstrates The Citizens' consistent start to the campaign. By contrast, Manchester United are still searching for their optimal rhythm, having only registered one win, one draw and one defeat so far.

That said, the Manchester Derby always operates with a unique dynamic separate from regular league matches. League position and prior form are never reliable deciding factors when these two city rivals meet.

Old Trafford will also act as a significant variable. Home supporter backing can provide United with extra energy to press City aggressively from the opening minutes.

For this reason, the match is expected to be tightly contested. While Manchester City arrive with far stronger positive momentum, Manchester United retain the opportunity to use home advantage to pull off an upset.

If United can successfully neutralise Haaland's movement while maximising Bruno Fernandes' creative output, they retain a realistic chance to take points from this fixture.

Conversely, if City can establish control of the midfield and pin United back deep inside their own defensive third, The Citizens stand a strong chance of extending their perfect start to the season.

This Manchester Derby is set to be one of the most high-profile fixtures of the 2026/27 Premier League fourth matchweek.