United and City in 'Manchester Derby'

Italian coach Enzo Maresca faces his first major test since taking charge in place of Spaniard Pep Guardiola, as table-topping City travel to neighbors United for the Manchester derby today in the fourth round of the English Premier League. After four matches across all competitions, Maresca has enjoyed an ideal start since assuming the difficult task of succeeding Guardiola at City. Although City have collected a perfect nine points in the Premier League, along with a 2-0 opening Champions League victory over Portuguese side Porto, this record masks some performances that fell short of expectations. At home last week, City had to scrape a hard-fought 1-0 win against Coventry, who squandered a series of chances that could have secured their first goal and point in the top flight in 25 years. Maresca’s side also needed two late goals to beat Bournemouth 2-1 in the opening match of the new season. Changes were not limited to the technical staff during the summer transfer window; City spent a record $623 million on new signings, including a completely reshaped midfield featuring the latest record signing, Argentine Enzo Fernandez, along with Elliot Anderson and Moroccan Ayoub El Kaabi. While this trio may start together for the first time at Old Trafford, Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has remained a constant in City’s ranks thanks to his ability to find the net. The 26-year-old has scored five goals in four matches across all competitions, making him the third-top scorer in Cityzens history with 167 goals. Haaland said: “I am very proud of these numbers, but I am still only 26, and I am still hungry for more.” Meanwhile, United’s start has fallen short of expectations, with one win from three matches, alongside a draw and a defeat. Manager Michael Carrick’s side has gathered just four points from their first three games, losing 2-0 to Hull and drawing 2-2 with Everton, after an initial 5-2 victory over Ipswich Town.