Man Utd v Man City Picks & Betting Preview

Will the destination of this year's Premier League trophy be decided at Old Trafford?

As Manchester City continue ticking off their remaining Premier League fixtures, Liverpool’s title dreams get fainter and fainter. City’s trip to Old Trafford on Wednesday—in what’s perhaps the most important Manchester Derby since 2012—looks to be the last realistic opportunity for the champions to slip-up.

Well, not quite – I don’t think anything other than an away win is very realistic at all.

Judging by United’s disgraceful display at Everton on Sunday (how are Chris Smalling and Phil Jones still starting matches), they don’t have a prayer of stopping this City outfit, who showed their gritty side over the weekend as they edged past Spurs 1-0.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have lost six of their last eight matches, and incredibly (yet unsurprisingly), this is the biggest price Manchester United have ever been to win a Premier League game at Old Trafford (+600).

Spurs, Liverpool and Crystal Palace are the only sides to have prevented United from scoring at home in the league this season, but I’m expecting City’s dominance to be so absolute they add themselves to this list.

City to win to nil is priced at a generous +162. Ederson has kept a clean sheet in nine of his last 13 matches, and United look so poor I predict City will win this with relative ease.

Man City to win to nil @ +162

Early goals are a key component of City’s effectiveness this season; Pep Guardiola’s men have scored 19 times in the first 15 minutes of their matches this season, so I’m backing the first goal of the match to be scored in the first ten-minutes.

Of course, an early United goal would also land this tip, but as I previously mentioned, I find it very unlikely they’ll lay a glove on this far-superior City side.

Time of First Goal - 0-10 minutes @ +275