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United manager Ruben Amorim is already facing scrutiny, with his team delivering underwhelming performances in their first three Premier League fixtures. ..Continue Reading
The Red Devils suffered a defeat to Arsenal on opening day, followed by a draw with Fulham, and narrowly edged Burnley thanks to a last-minute penalty from Bruno Fernandes just before the international break.
Despite their shaky start, United currently sit above City in the league standings heading into the clash at the Etihad Stadium.
City, meanwhile, have endured a rough patch, losing consecutive matches to Tottenham and Brighton after an initial win over Wolves. Injuries have further compounded their early-season struggles.
Even after a summer marked by significant investment and new signings, Pep Guardiola’s squad seems no closer to regaining the dominant form that eluded them last season.
City failed to defeat Amorim’s United in either of their encounters last year—settling for a draw in one and suffering a loss in the other.
Merson believes that trend is likely to continue, expressing confidence that City’s recent struggles against their rivals won’t be reversed this weekend.
‘I thought Manchester United were really good the against Burnley,’ the former Arsenal midfielder told Sportskeeda.
‘It was a bit like the Manchester United of the old times. But they still needed a penalty at the end to win that game and that is a concern if you ask me.
‘Manchester City looked comfortable until the substitutions changed the game for Brighton. I’m looking for reasons to back City here and I can’t find any if I’m being honest!
‘They don’t have a player like David Silva or Kevin De Bruyne anymore, so who is going to step up? Julian Alvarez was the kind of player who could have picked the ball up and pulled off something special in games like these, but they don’t have him either!
‘Erling Haaland isn’t that type of a player, he relies on people like Silva and De Bruyne for service. And I’ve always said that Jeremy Doku is a hit-and-miss, so this isn’t the dominant Manchester City we once knew.
‘City were terrible against Tottenham at the Etihad. I actually think Manchester United’s front-three can hurt them in this game.
‘I say that despite having the opinion that United will not finish in the top six this season, so you can imagine what I think of City at the moment!
‘I’m going to go for a draw but if someone told me I had to pick a winner, I would only choose Manchester United. I just don’t think Ruben Amorim’s men will lose this game.’
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