Football betting tips: Super Sunday
2pts Erling Haaland to score anytime at 23/20 (Ladbrokes, Coral)
0.5pt Josko Gvardiol to score anytime at 10/1 (William Hill)
Not since 2016 have Manchester City been led by someone other than Pep Guardiola in the Manchester derby.
Enzo Maresca has been handed the difficult task of starting his experience of the rivalry away from home, but at the same time his team have had 48 hours more recovery after both clubs began their Champions League campaigns in midweek.
How much rest Manchester United need after a 4-0 demolition of Azerbaijani minnows Sabah is open to question, but every little helps.
It's just another factor in favour of the away team, who have a 100% record in the Premier League and have looked much more impressive than a United side with much to improve - particularly defensively.
The Red Devils have conceded twice in all three of their league games and have now conceded 2+ goals in eight of their last 13 league matches, keeping just three clean sheets. With that in mind it seems very obvious to back ERLING HAALAND TO SCORE ANYTIME at 23/20.
The freshly scalped Norwegian may have a new look this season but it's the same old story. After failing to find the net against Bournemouth on opening weekend he has scored five times in the three games since, averaging a staggering 0.95 expected goals per 90 across all four matches.
It rates a better bet than backing the away win at 11/10, as there is no escaping the fact that United do have a tendency to pull results out of thin air in the biggest games. Moreover they have won 10 of their 11 home matches since Michael Carrick took over in January.
Along the same lines RAYAN CHERKI is worth consideration for 1+ ASSISTS should he start and the prices remain around 3/1. He's a player who is worth taking a small hit on price-wise to get Super Sub style terms as he rarely makes it much beyond the hour mark.
He could be the man delivering set-pieces, which continue to be a real issue for United.
They have already allowed 1.38 xG from those situations this season, with both Hull goals on opening weekend coming that way courtesy of Nobel Mendy and Semi Ajayi. Fellow centre-backs Dara O'Shea (Ipswich) Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski (both Everton) had four attempts between them from set-pieces in United's next two matches, with O'Shea going mightily close and Branthwaite hitting the target twice.
Manchester City duo JOSKO GVARDIOL and MARC GUEHI both scored in their season opener against Bournemouth, the latter's coming from a corner.
Since being utilised more regularly at left-back Gvardiol has become as much of a threat in open play as from dead-balls, explaining his huge spike in goalscoring. After one goal in his first 24 league appearances for City he has scored 11 in his next 62.
The early signs under Maresca have been a preference to play with four natural centre-backs, starting Abduqodir Khusanov on the right side of the defence. That has given Gvardiol even greater freedom to move into advanced positions, both high on the left and even centrally as the below heat map indicates.
GUEHI (11/1) and the less prolific RUBEN DIAS (15/1) should get chances from free-kicks and corners but GVARDIOL's price of 10/1 TO SCORE ANYTIME against a United defence that looks susceptible in every aspect is the best bet.
That being said, I wouldn't put anyone off covering all three to small stakes.
ENZO FERNANDEZ almost made the staking plan TO BE SHOWN A CARD or TO WIN 3+ FOULS but the price of the former has collapsed from the 4/1 of midweek and I need a little more evidence to be comfortable backing the latter at 12/5.
He has made that line in his first two City appearances, a giant leap from his time with Chelsea, where he averaged below 1.50 per 90.
It is also tricky to know just yet whether he will continue the bookings ratio he delivered at Stamford Bridge, where he was carded 14 times in 54 games last term.
Odds correct at 08:35 BST (11/9/26)
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