This weekend, not only is the Premier League back after the first international break of the season, but for Manchester United and City fans, it’s the first derby of the 2025/26 campaign.
Ruben Amorim are headed to the Etihad on Saturday 14th September to take on Pep Guardiola and his side, with United set to have a new first choice goalkeeper.
Andre Onana who’s held the role for two years has now been sent out on loan to Trabzonspor after losing the favour of Ruben Amorim how has opted to use his deputy, Altay Bayindir in all three Premier League fixtures so far.
Adding to this, United also signed Royal Antwerp shot-stopper Senne Lammens on deadline day, adding another option in goal, with the Belgian youngster keen to make the role his.
As such, with Onana gone, Amorim is set to elect a new first-choice keeper, which is going to be vital to turn things around.
However, adding into Amorim’s decision on who he picks for the derby is surely going to be Erling Haaland’s recent performance for Norway as they thrashed Moldova 11-1.
The City striker, understandably, won Man of the Match for his display as the 23-year-old ran the show, grabbing five goals and two assists.
Coming out for the first half, Erling Haaland meant business, grabbing a hattrickin just 32 minutes after having already set up Felix Myhre for the openning goal in the sixth minute.
Five minutes later and Myhre returned the favour setting up Haaland for his first of the game in the 11th minute, before Martin Odegaard set up the next two for the City striker to make it 4-0, with Odegaard himself scoring on the brink of half-time.
Seven minutes into the second half and Haaland was on the scoreboard again for his fourth, set up by David Moller Wolfe, before then grabbing his fifth in the 83rd minute, also grabbing Norway’s tenth goal of the game, or eleventh if you count the own-goal that counted for Moldova.
However, Erling Haaland wasn’t finished, setting up substitute Thelo Aasgaard for his hattrick on the brink of full-time to make it 11-1.
As such, the Norway international is coming into the United fixture with an incredible amount of confidence in his rather long stride, something that Amorim’s defence will need to contain.
