FOR Premier League fans of Manchester, the derby tomorrow have served up a better fixture to mark the return of action after the international break.
Though Manchester City and Manchester United are not quite in the early running for the title, the clash at the Etihad does have all the ingredients for a full-blooded battle.
Indeed, it might still be early in a campaign in which both will have to show marked improvement or face more ridicule.
In the case of Man United, the team will be trying to improve on last season’s 15th place and a terrible start to the new campaign, while City will be keen to just challenge for the title.
The Citizens have won England’s most coveted prize in football eight times in the last 14 years, and six times in the last eight years.
That is a remarkable return by any standards: much of it down to the football acumen of Pep Guardiola.
City are 13th on the log with three points from their opening three fixtures, while Man United are ninth with four points from their first three matches.
Those are particularly poor returns from sides that cost billions of dollars.
And that’s why the spotlight will shine brightly on Guardiola and the Red Devils’ Ruben Amorim for a good part of the English afternoon tomorrow.
City are also almost certain to start with Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku, players who did well in the World Cup qualifiers and will be expected to do the same at the Etihad.
Haaland scored five and set up two more goals in Norway’s 11-1 hammering of Moldova, while Doku hit a brace as Belgium thumped Kazahkstan 6-0.
City, it should be mentioned, will be without speedy winger Omar Marmoush, who hobbled off in Egypt’s goalless draw with Burkina Faso on Tuesday.
In contrast, Man United’s Benjamin Sesko featured throughout Slovenia’s games against Sweden and Switzerland, yet managed only one shot on target across both fixtures.
The £74mil striker has yet to score for his new club or his country this season.
The International Centre for Sports Studies Football Observatory this week said City had a 14.4% chance of winning the title this season (fourth on that count), and put Man United’s at 2.6% (eighth).
It also had Liverpool as favourites with a 28.9% chance of retaining the crown, with Arsenal next best at 18.8% and Chelsea third with a 16.2% chance of emerging as champions.
All that aside, this Manchester derby should prove a real entertaining and fiery clash between these old foes.
The London derby between West Ham and Tottenham today should also be one to watch.
There’s no love lost between these clubs, and another high-tempo coming together should be on the cards.
Arsenal’s face-off with Nottingham Forest at the Emirates is set to see Ange Postecoglou make his debut as the Tricky Trees’ manager.
Whether he will make good on his word to take Forest back to their “rightful place” in football – that means to the very top of the English and European game – remains to be seen.
All the same, it should an interesting start to his return to the Premier League in the early game today.
