● Manchester United v Manchester City, Sunday 13 September 2026, Old Trafford, 16:30 BST kick-off. Stats correct at time of publication.
New season, new faces
Both sides arrive at Old Trafford under a manager who wasn't in the job a year ago. Manchester City top the Premier League table with three wins from three under Enzo Maresca, and followed that up in midweek with a 2-0 Champions League win over Porto. Manchester United sit 13th on four points from three games under Michael Carrick. Manchester United beat Champions League debutants Sabah 4-0 midweek.
Two new bosses, one old rivalry
Guardiola's ten-year spell in charge of Manchester City ended at the close of last season, one of the most dominant managerial reigns English football has seen. His successor, appointed in June 2026 on a three-year deal, is a familiar face: Enzo Maresca served as Guardiola's assistant during City's treble-winning 2018-19 season, before going on to manage Parma, guide Leicester City to the Championship title, and take charge of Chelsea. Sunday is Maresca's first Manchester derby as a head coach in his own right — and his first time facing his old club from the opposite technical area.
Michael Carrick's route to Sunday's touchline has been just as unusual. He took interim charge of United in January 2026 after Ruben Amorim was sacked, won his first derby in the job 2-0 at Old Trafford just days later, and was rewarded with a permanent two-year contract in May after steering the club back into European qualification.
The transfer business this summer reflected the gap between the two clubs: City backed Maresca to the tune of £455.8m gross (a net spend of £148.6m), while United's outlay was far more restrained at £163m gross, a net spend of £125m.
Recent Results
City have won just one of the last four Premier League meetings between these two clubs — a 3-0 win at the Etihad in September 2025. Widen it to the last six derbies and City have the edge, 3 wins to United's 2, with one draw, though the most recent instalment went United's way: Carrick's Old Trafford side won 2-0 in January, just days into his interim reign.
| Date | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Jan 2026 | Manchester United | 2-0 |
| 14 Sep 2025 | Manchester City | 3-0 |
| 6 Apr 2025 | Draw | 0-0 |
| 15 Dec 2024 | Manchester United | 2-1 |
| 3 Mar 2024 | Manchester City | 3-1 |
| 29 Oct 2023 | Manchester City | 3-0 |
| 14 Jan 2023 | Manchester United | 2-1 |
● Score shown winner first. All Premier League meetings. Source: TrebleStats fixture data.
Player to watch
Bruno Fernandes — United's captain has scored in each of his side's first three league games this season, and has a habit of turning up in this fixture specifically: 3 goals and 3 assists in 13 Premier League appearances against City, including that January winner. For context, Erling Haaland has scored 8 goals in 7 league games against United in his career. Two of those have come at Old Trafford, a ground where City's biggest threat is closely watched.
On City's side, Phil Foden is playing some of his best football of the season without it showing on the scoresheet — two assists in the 4-1 win over Crystal Palace and a sublime pass to set up City's opener against Porto in midweek, despite not scoring in his last 34 appearances. And keep an eye on Ayyoub Bouaddi, City's £86m record teenage signing from Lille, who impressed on his full debut against Porto and could feature again on Sunday — the 18-year-old called this derby "one of the most important games, if not the most important game of the year."
The big question
Two managers, both new to this fixture in their current roles, both with something to prove. Can Carrick make it back-to-back derby wins to open his permanent reign — or does Maresca, top of the table and sitting in the chair his old mentor occupied for a decade, make an immediate statement of his own?
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