Man Utd v Man City: Early preview as Maresca prepares for first derby

The first Manchester derby of the season arrives on Sunday as City make the short journey to Old Trafford looking to continue their excellent start under Enzo Maresca.

City have won their opening three Premier League games against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Coventry, and followed those victories with a 2-0 Champions League win away to Porto on Tuesday night.

United’s opening weeks have been rather less straightforward.

Maresca faces his first Manchester derby

Michael Carrick’s side began their league campaign with a 2-0 defeat at Hull before responding with a 5-2 home victory over Ipswich. They then surrendered the lead twice in Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Everton, leaving them with four points from their opening three matches.

Form rarely tells the whole story when these two meet, and City don’t have to look too far back for a reminder.

United won the previous meeting at Old Trafford in January, with Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu scoring in a 2-0 victory which ended City’s 13-match unbeaten run.

Maresca has already acknowledged that Sunday’s trip will probably represent his biggest test since taking charge of City. His side will at least make the journey in good shape after three league victories and an impressive European result in Portugal.

Erling Haaland scored both goals against Porto, while Maresca said afterwards that he can see his team improving game by game. Old Trafford now offers a rather different examination.

For Maresca, this will be his first experience of the Manchester derby from the dugout. We’ve already picked out five Manchester derby moments City fans will never forget, and Sunday offers the first opportunity of his reign to add another.

There will be more clarity on injuries and availability when Maresca speaks to the media on Friday afternoon. Until then, this feels like a good early test of just how far City have come in the opening weeks of his reign.

Kick-off at Old Trafford is 4.30pm on Sunday.

For updates on City throughout the season, take a look at our LIVE! Premier League 2026/27 News, Transfers, Updates & Viral Moments page.