Man Utd v Man City: Back Derby delight for Pep's squad & 3/1 De Bruyne parting shots | OneFootball

English Premier League

Back Pep Guardiola's side to win at Old Trafford again

Paul Higham says Man City will have too much for Man Utd in Sunday's derby, with Kevin De Bruyne backed to try everything to sign off in style at Old Trafford.

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Improving City should be too good

It's a rather low-key Manchester derby on Sunday really with both sides having their well publicised problems, but there'll still be two sides, and two sets of fans especially, desperate to secure bragging rights at Old Trafford.

That crazy late United win at the Etihad seems a long time ago now, and for all United's problems if they do the double over their rivals as 23/10 home underdogs it'll make it four derby games unbeaten, even though it won't do too much for their lowly league position.

City may actually set up better for Ruben Amorim's men than Nottingham Forest did on Tuesday with a more open game on the cards, but Pep Guardiola has won five Premier League games at Old Trafford, more than anyone else in the competition, and his side are 11/10 to take another three points.

Away teams have been doing well in Manchester derbies, with the visitors winning 10 of 18 and with a solid FA Cup win at Bournemouth and then taking care of lowly Leciester, City are back looking good for a top four finish.

Old Trafford's not been great fun for United fans this season. They've lost seven in the league at home, gone eight games without a clean sheet and got just two draws from eight games against sides in the top 10, with an aggregate scoreline of 5-19.

Conceding goals has been a problem for Amorim here, with United letting in 17 in nine home league games, and even without Erling Haaland City should be able to take full advantage.

I'm still not overly sold on a City defence that's mustered just five clean sheets away from home all season, and United usually score at home so I'll back them to find the net, but ultimately City should prove too good right now.

Back De Bruyne for final derby fling

Kevin De Bruyne will end his glittering decade at Man City this summer, and the announcement coming just before the Manchester derby means all eyes will be on him at Old Trafford - and expect him to live up to the occasion.

The Belgian playmaker is 3/1 anytime goalscorer in his final Manchester derby, and great players usually find a way of making big statements like that.

De Bruyne does have a relatively modest three goals in 21 games against Man Utd though, with a more impressive six assists during that time, and it's clear he's way below his best this season as he gets on in years.

But he'll be pulling out all the stop here though, so I think a more realistic shout in the 3/1 on De Bruyne to have 2+ shots on target, as he'll be pulling the triger whenever he can

There are some great options in the fouls market for a derby with Manuel Ugarte top of the list at 4/6 for 2+ fouls - after giving four away in the reverse fixture in one of 13 multiple foul games for United this season.

That'll go nicely with Matheus Nunes to get a card for Man City at 12/5 as starting at right-back will be a problem lining up against Alejandro Garnacho. Nunes has multiple fouls in his last four outings, two of which have seen him booked.

He was booked against United in the Community Shield too and especially early on the Red Devils will really try to get after him.

And we'll finish off this nice little trio with Diogo Dalot, the fouls leader in the Man Utd squad this season who operating in that right wing-back role will be exposed against City out wide.

It could be Jeremy Doku, it could be Jack Grealish, either way Dalot is in trouble, so we'll add him in at 11/10 for 2+ fouls - which after all is two less than he gave away at the Etihad earlier this season.

Now read all the rest of our Premier League match previews & best bets from our experts

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Back Man City to win & both teams to score @ 5/2 Back Kevin De Bruyne 2+ shots on target @ 3/1 Back a Nunes card, Ugarte & Dalot 2+ fouls each @ 10/1

Mike Norman's Build Up Tips:

Back Marmoush to have more Shots on Target than Fernandes

You should never take anything for granted in a Manchester derby, but surely United - with literally nothing to play for in the Premier League - will have one eye on the Europa League quarter final in midweek, which is their last remaining chance this season to win a trophy, and in doing so, qualify for next season's Champions League.

That could mean that focus among the United players is not 100% turned on, and I dare say Ruben Amorim will take off some of his better players - namely Bruno Fernandes - before the final whistle.

For that reason I want to take on Fernandes in a Shots on Target Match Up with City attacker Omar Marmoush.

Even if United's star man does play the full duration of the game, the facts are that City are favourites to win this game and Marmoush is by far their main attacking threat with Erling Haaland out of the game with injury. And on top of that, he has much better stats than Bruno this season.

True, Marmoush only joined in the January transfer window but in 570 minutes of Premier League football he's registered 23 shots at goal with nine of those being on target. That's on average a shot every 25 minutes, and a shot on target every 63 minutes.

Fernandes meanwhile has played 2,468 minutes for 78 shots with 26 being on target. In term of minutes, that's one shot every 32 minutes with one being on target every 95 minutes.

What's more, Marmoush is very much a man in form. In his last five league starts for City he's registered 20 shots at goal with nine being on target. Bruno's recent stats haven't been terrible by any means, but in his last five starts he's registered 13 shots with eight being on target.