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Manchester City vs Manchester United: Sunday’s Manchester derby promises to be an electrifying encounter as Manchester City and Manchester United clash at the Etihad. The two Mancunian giants have experienced a decline in fortunes, but their rivalry remains as fierce as ever.
Manchester City, currently fourth in the Premier League, has been struggling to find consistency. Their recent form has been marred by seven defeats in ten matches across all competitions, with their defense being a major concern. The Citizens have conceded at least two goals in nine of those matches, highlighting their vulnerability at the back.
While Manchester United’s season has been marked by some underwhelming results as they currently sit 13th on the Premier League table. Despite securing a crucial 2-1 win over Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League during midweek, the Red Devils have suffered back-to-back Premier League defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. New manager Ruben Amorim will be eager to mastermind another victory over Manchester City, having already done so earlier this season with Sporting CP in a 4-1 rout of the English Champions.
Team news suggests that Manchester City will be without Rico Lewis due to suspension, while Rodri, Oscar Bobb, and Nathan Ake are sidelined with injuries. Manchester United, on the other hand, has a relatively clean bill of health, with only Luke Shaw and Jonny Evans potentially missing out.
Given the attacking prowess of both teams, Sunday’s match is likely to be a high-scoring affair. Manchester City’s attacking threats will be matched by Manchester United’s counter-attacking capabilities, making for a thrilling encounter. While a 3-2 win for Manchester City is a possible outcome, the match is expected to be closely contested.
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Dias, Simpson-Pusey, Gvardiol; De Bruyne, Kovacic; Silva, Foden, Nunes; Haaland
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez; Diallo, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dalot; Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund
Chelsea vs Brentford: Enzo Maresca’s in-form Chelsea are up to face Brentford at Stamford Bridge this weekend, in the Premier League. Currently, Chelsea sits in 2nd place, while Brentford occupies the 9th position.
Looking back at their previous encounters, Brentford stunned Chelsea 4-1 in their meeting at Stamford Bridge in 2022, marking their first victory at the stadium since 1939. Christian Eriksen played a crucial role in that match, scoring his first Premier League goal since 2019.
As for the upcoming match, Chelsea will be looking to continue their impressive form, while Brentford aims to build on their current momentum. A Premier League classic this could turn out to be.
Arsenal vs Everton: Arsenal is poised to build on their momentum after a convincing 3-0 Champions League win over Monaco.
The Gunners are expected to dominate Sean Dyche’s Everton at the Emirates, given their impressive historical record. Arsenal has won 23 of their last 28 Premier League home matches against Everton, with a staggering 102 top-flight victories over the Toffees – the most any side has beaten another in English top-flight history.
The stats are firmly in Arsenal’s favor. They’ve won 81% of their home Premier League matches in 2024, while Everton has struggled on the road, with only one away Premier League win in 2024, which came against newly promoted Ipswich Town in October.
The Toffees have failed to score in their last three away Premier League matches, and Arsenal’s solid defense, with three clean sheets in their last four Emirates games, will look to exploit this.
Everton’s best chance of scoring may come from set pieces, having scored eight of their 14 Premier League goals this season via set pieces. However, Arsenal is also proficient in this department, having scored more goals via corners than any other side (23) since the start of last season. Set pieces have accounted for 33% of the goals Arsenal has conceded this season, and 19% of the goals Everton has let in.
Liverpool vs Fulham: Liverpool returns to Premier League action, hosting Fulham at Anfield on Saturday. The Reds will have a game in hand over their title rivals for at least the next two months, providing a valuable opportunity to gain ground. This comes after Arsenal and Manchester City dropped points last week.
Liverpool’s midweek Champions League win over Girona, courtesy of Mohamed Salah’s penalty, maintained their 100% record in the competition. Returning to Anfield will definitely boost their confidence, given their impressive 13-match unbeaten run at home, with the only blemish being a defeat to Nottingham Forest in September.
Fulham, meanwhile, has been in fine form, holding Arsenal to a 1-1 draw last Sunday. A result that took them to 23 points after 15 games, their second-best tally in Premier League history.
Despite losing just one of their last seven games, Fulham sits 10th in the table, but the congested top half means they are within four points of Manchester City in fourth place.
The possible starting lineups for the match are:
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz
Fulham: Leno; Tete, Cuenca, Diop, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Iwobi, Smith Rowe, Adama; Jimenez
Rayo Vallecano vs Real Madrid: Real Madrid currently sit second on the La Liga table, two points behind leaders Barcelona with a game in hand. A victory at Estadio de Vallecas would see them move to the top of the table.
Rayo Vallecano, on the other hand, is 12th on the log with 19 points from 15 matches. They’ve had a relatively solid defensive record, conceding just 16 goals, but finding the back of the net has been a major challenge, scoring only 15 goals.
Early team news has it that Rayo Vallecano will be missing Pelayo Fernandez and Raul de Tomas, while Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe is out due to a thigh injury. Jude Bellingham should be fit, while Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo are expected to start.
The possible starting lineups are:
- Rayo Vallecano: Batalla; Ratiu, Lejeune, Mumin, Chavarria; Ciss, Valentin; De Frutos, Palazon, A Garcia; Nteka
- Real Madrid: Courtois; Vazquez, Tchouameni, Rudiger, F Garcia; Ceballos, Valverde; Brahim, Bellingham, Vinicius; Rodrygo
RB Leipzig vs Frankfurt: At the Red Bull Arena on Sunday, RB Leipzig will seek to bounce back from their disappointing Champions League campaign.
RB Leipzig has a strong home record, having allowed only 14 goals in the league this season, the second-best defensive record in the Bundesliga. However, Eintracht Frankfurt has been impressive on the road, with Omar Marmoush leading the charge with 13 goals in the league.
In their most recent meeting in the DFB-Pokal Round of 16 on December 4, 2024, RB Leipzig secured a convincing 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, with goals from Benjamin Sesko and Loïs Openda.
