November 06, (THEWILL) – The Manchester Derby between United and City, to be played at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Old Trafford facilities, is the most anticipated event on the English Premier League schedule this weekend, with the Norwegian manager still under enormous pressure.
United are unbeaten against City in the Premier League since 2019. Guardiola’s side did win a Carabao Cup semi-final tie at United in January 2021, though, and have only lost on one of their last six visits. It will be the first Manchester derby in front of a crowd since a memorable triumph soon before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020.
Every game between these two sides is highly contested, and there is a lot on the line this time as United tries to close the gap on City in the standings after the Blues’ shock home loss to Crystal Palace last time out. In other ties, Brentford will look to inflict more pain on Norwich in “the clash of the newboys” while Chelsea could open up a larger lead at the summit of the table.
Here is THEWILL Preview of what to expect in the matchday 11 schedule of matches from the EPL and at the very top of the standings.
Manchester United Versus Manchester City – 1:30 pm
Cristiano Ronaldo came to Manchester United’s rescue once again in midweek, as the Red Devils battled back from two goals down to earn a draw in Bergamo, with the Portuguese talisman scoring both goals, including a magnificent volley in the dying stages of the game. United, on the other hand, were terrible, and even Ronaldo’s brace could not conceal it.
With only two clean sheets in all competitions this season and the 5-0 thrashing at home to Liverpool still fresh in the mind, the Red Devils may face a challenging afternoon.
Last Saturday, City suffered a stunning setback at the hands of Crystal Palace, who won 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium, following their midweek Carabao Cup exit. But, Pep Guardiola’s side came back with a four-goal win over Club Brugge on Wednesday. They have scored 15 goals in their last six games and will be confident in their chances against United’s defence.
Brentford Versus Norwich – 4 pm
Brentford were upset at Burnley last weekend, as the Clarets won 3-1 thanks to a great first-half effort, and the Bees have now slid to 12th in the table, despite their strong start to the season. They have lost their last three Premier League games and have not won a top-flight match at the Brentford Community Stadium since beating Arsenal on the first day of the season.
Norwich’s return to the Premier League is not going as planned, with a 2-1 loss to Leeds last weekend keeping them at the bottom of the table with only two points from a possible 30. The Canaries are already eight points adrift of safety, and relegation appears all but certain, but they do have a good chance to add another point or three on Saturday.
Crystal Palace Versus Wolves – 4 pm
Crystal Palace won a thrilling three points away to Manchester City last weekend, extending their Premier League unbeaten run to five games and putting a stop to their opening weekend thumping at Chelsea.
Manager Patrick Vieira has done a fantastic job so far this season, losing only two Premier League games and picking up points from Spurs, Leicester, Arsenal, and Manchester City. On Saturday, however, they will face another in-form team.
But, Wolves beat a struggling Everton last weekend to make it four wins in a row, moving them up to seventh place in the league. The Midlands club were unfortunate to lose their first three league games under Bruno Lage, but they have more than made up for it since then. Will that stand the Palace attack?
Chelsea Versus Burnley – 4 pm
Chelsea won three points in Malmo in midweek to extend their unbeaten streak to seven games, and they are likely to win again when they play Burnley on Saturday.
Thomas Tuchel’s Blues turned up a fantastic performance in their 3-0 win over Newcastle last week, and with both of their championship contenders dropping points, they now lead the standings by three points after winning eight of their ten games.
Burnley, meanwhile, can boast no such achievements, despite the fact that the relegation-threatened Clarets did secure a major result last weekend when they defeated Brentford 3-1.
That stopped a five-match losing streak, and while they have been tough to beat at times this season, they have struggled when playing top-tier opponents giving Chelsea the advantage.
Brighton and Hove Albion Versus Newcastle – 6:30 pm
Brighton’s records have fallen a little over the last month or so after a roaring start to the season in which they won six of their first seven games in all competitions, but they are well-placed to stop their winless streak on Saturday.
Last Sunday, Graham Potter’s side came back from a 2-0 deficit at Anfield to earn a point against Liverpool, who were in fine form. The Seagulls have now gone six games without a win, but five of those have been draws, and their comeback last Saturday will have given them a huge boost in confidence.
Newcastle’s confidence, on the other hand, is at an all-time low following yet another loss last weekend. They were thrashed by Chelsea at home and are still looking for their first competitive victory of the season.
The Magpies have lost six of their eleven competitive games, including three of their five away games, and are no closer to finding a permanent replacement for Steve Bruce as matchday 11 approaches. Interim boss Graeme Jones may just oversee another loss.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
