Crosstown rivals Manchester United and Manchester City meet at the iconic Old Trafford today in the first Manchester derby of the 2026/27 English Premier League season.
The match will also be a new experience for the Cityzens, who head into the derby under Enzo Maresca after more than 10 years with Pep Guardiola in charge.
Guardiola left City at the end of last season after a long spell that brought multiple Premier League titles and major success in England and Europe. Maresca has now taken charge and has made a strong start to his time at the club. He has won all three of City’s Premier League matches so far, against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Coventry City.
City also began their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 win over Porto in midweek.
The results have been good although City have not looked completely comfortable in every game. Their 1-0 win over Coventry last weekend was a tight contest with the visitors creating chances. Maresca will now face his first Manchester derby as City manager with the pressure and atmosphere at Old Trafford expected to be very different.
Manchester United have had a less consistent start under Michael Carrick. They lost 2-1 to Hull City on the opening weekend before responding with a 5-2 win over newly promoted Ipswich Town. They then drew 2-2 against Everton after conceding a late equaliser. United have therefore taken four points from their first three league games.
Their attacking numbers have been encouraging, with seven goals scored, but their defence has been a concern. United have conceded six goals, with two going in during each of their first three league matches. They will need to improve at the back against a City side that has Erling Haaland in good form.
Haaland has already scored five Premier League goals this season and has a strong record against United. The Norwegian has scored eight times in seven Premier League appearances against them.
The derby has been closely contested over the years. Sunday’s match will be the 199th meeting between the two sides. In the Premier League, United have the better record, with 27 wins from 58 meetings, compared to City’s 21. The two teams have drawn 10 times.
United also won the corresponding fixture at Old Trafford last season but City have won three straight Premier League games at the start of this campaign.
When and where to watch the Manchester derby?
The first Manchester derby of the 2026-27 season will be broadcasted live on the JioHotstar app/website as well as the Star Sports network on television screens.