Manchester United host Manchester City on Saturday in the Manchester derby.
United are on a run of eight wins in a row and could equal their longest winning run in all competitions since 2013.
Second-placed City, who are four points above United, lost to Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
Head-to-head
Manchester City’s 6-3 Premier League win against Manchester United in October set a record for most goals in this fixture.
United have lost the last three league meetings. A fourth in a row would equal the club Premier League record for defeats against the same opponent, set against Liverpool in 2002 and City in 2014.
City have won nine of their past 14 visits to Old Trafford in all competitions, directly following a run of one victory in 32 attempts.
United could go four successive home games without scoring against City for just the second time, and first since 1914.
The Red Devils have not dropped points from a winning position in a Manchester derby since a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in September 2005.
Manchester United
Manchester United have earned an unsurpassed 35 points in the Premier League since beating Liverpool on 22 August.
United are the only team to have won all Premier League matches they have led in this season, doing so 11 times.
They can win five successive league games for the first time since April 2021. That run included a 2-0 victory at Manchester City.
United have earned nine consecutive home victories in all competitions for the first time since December 2017. That streak was ended by a 2-1 Premier League defeat versus Manchester City.
The Red Devils have lost four successive league games against the reigning champions, by an aggregate score of 16-6. They have never suffered five successive defeats versus the title holders.
Marcus Rashford has scored in all six Manchester United fixtures since the World Cup.
However, Rashford hasn’t scored in any of his last five appearances against Manchester City, managing just one shot on target in total.
Erik ten Hag can become the first United manager since David Moyes to lose his first two Manchester derbies.
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Manchester City
Manchester City have won three successive Premier League away matches.
City scored multiple goals in eight of their opening nine league fixtures this season, but have since done so in only three of their eight games.
Kevin de Bruyne has failed to score or assist in any of his last five Premier League appearances, his longest such run since a 10-match streak between December 2018 and March 2019.
This is Pep Guardiola’s 500th top-flight match as a manager. His 76% win percentage is the best of any manager in Europe’s top five leagues to have taken charge of 100 or more games since Guardiola’s first season in 2008-09.
Guardiola has won six competitive Manchester derbies at Old Trafford, twice as many as at the Etihad Stadium.
