The Manchester Derby: 9 Man United fans speculate on the outcome

Manchester City will host bitter rivals Manchester United this weekend with the teams on completely different trajectories.

Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions are unbeaten since December and come into this game on the back of two 1-0 wins, seeing them close the gap to league leaders Liverpool, while Man United suffered a last-minute defeat to Fulham on the weekend.

The Manchester Derby will be shown live on Showmax Premier League on Sunday, 3 March 2024, at 17:30.

As Erik Ten Hag's men prepare to grace the hallowed grounds of the Etihad on Sunday, only one thing will be on their mind: victory.

In the heart of Manchester, a city pulsating with football fervour, the Red Devils' faithful stand at a crossroads of destiny. The upcoming clash against their eternal rivals presents a conundrum wrapped in intrigue. Could there be a twist in the tale, a strategic gamble that defies convention?

Picture this: a win for Manchester United on Sunday catapults them closer to the top four, a tantalising prospect that ignites hope in the hearts of fans. Yet, lurking in the shadows is the spectre of inadvertently fuelling Liverpool's title ambitions, a bitter pill to swallow for the proud Red Army.

Or perhaps, in a bold stroke of defiance, some fans dare to dream of a sacrificial loss, a strategic manoeuvre to keep the balance of power in the league intact.

By conceding victory to their noisy neighbors, could Manchester United pave the way for a thrilling chase between City and Liverpool, a spectacle that sets the football world ablaze?

This week, Showmax delves into the minds of the Manchester United faithful and finds out what result fans would want ahead of the Derby, which will be shown live on Showmax on Sunday at 17:30.

Dylan Jack

My head says this could be a rout for Manchester City. They could score however many goals they want to. Manchester United are in a bit of a mess without Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw and Rasmus Hojlund. But my heart says that United can still sneak this, if they are defensively solid and counterattack well. A derby brings a different kind of fire out of United and anything that happened previously can be tossed in the bin.

When it comes to a Manchester derby, its United or nothing. Its Reds all the way. We don’t bother about what is happening with the title chase, with the league, especially if we aren’t involved in it. Who really cares about what Liverpool is doing. It’s United all the way, and that’s the bottom line. We have to win this and push on for a top four finish. We will never go into any game especially the Manchester Derby thinking we are going to throw this one away. If we want to stop Liverpool from winning the title, our team needs to be in the title race to avoid them from winning.

Rushil Bhima

I’m always optimistic about my team, no matter what kind of form we are in or who we are playing, so it’s hardly a surprise that I am going for a United win on Sunday. I reckon we can sneak a 1-0 late in the game because that’s just the United way. However, if City score first , I feel like the flood gates may open and we could be in for a disaster.

As much as I don’t want Liverpool to win their second Premier League title in my lifetime, finishing in the top four is the most important thing for United, especially with Sir Jim Ratcliffe coming in. We deserve to return to where we always belong.

Faeez Khan

I predict that City may just edge us 2-1. City are on form and are the better team by far. We are struggling considerably, and we haven’t been able to perform well consistently. So by that logic, I expect City to win, but you never know what could happen on the day.

As a Man United fan, it’s not about handing anything to Liverpool or not allowing them to achieve what they actually deserve, but for us, it's about focusing on where we are. We will challenge City, it’s a derby and on the day it can always be different. City does have the momentum and probably the form will be with them, but again on the day anything could happen. We’d like to challenge, we’d like to win the game and we would like to finish in the top four so they wont be short of motivation . Nothing we do on the day will be to benefit any other team. We are United and we will remain United and we will be back challenging very soon.

Tushar Naik

Tough prediction to be honest - but let’s go for a 2-1 United win. Reason is that we are coming off a loss and we badly need to keep the winning mentality going to make top four.

I would definitely say United for the win, even if it means giving Liverpool an extra advantage in their pursuit for the title. Our city should always be red. Let's go, United!

Mohammed Reza Kaloo

United to lose 3-0. City are in good form and have a powerful squad. They will be taking on a disappointing team full of mishaps. We will also be missing Hojlund, which is huge. There is no passion in the United team and this will lead to their downfall.

Of course I wouldn’t choose City to win any game of the week. I’d like United to win and fight for a top four place, even if that means Liverpool may win the title again.

Muhammad Chothia

As much as it hurts to say, realistically 4-1 to Man City. Man United’s defence has been extremely leaky and with a makeshift left back too can see Man City creating tonnes of chances. Add to that the lack of goal threat we have without Hojlund its not looking too promising.

Personally, I’d rather have United win the game and boost our chances for a top four finish. In all honestly, Liverpool will probably end up dropping points from now till the end of the season and Man City will run away with the title, so this game may not even have any impact.

Rushil Naran

My prediction for the derby is that United take this 2-1. It’s maybe a prediction that comes from the heart and not the head. Do I want City to beat us to avoid Liverpool from winning the title? I honestly could not care less. For me, securing a top four spot is important so we should beat all the teams, especially the ones above us, and that’s what I am hoping for. If you were to force me to choose, I would say I definitely wouldn’t want City winning four in a row, it can’t happen.

Do I want Liverpool to win the title? I can’t stand their fan base. You will never hear the end of it, so probably not. Do I want the Gunners to win? Probably not the best fan base to deal with. But if I had to choose one, it would have to be Arsenal because I know fewer Gunners fans, so I could probably deal with that.

Raees Naik

Anything can happen in a derby so I am hoping for a 2-1 United win. If we take the emotion out of it I'd probably say 2-1 City (it will be closer than some believe). I think United might fall short with Martinez, Shaw and Hojlund missing – three crucial players that we unfortunately do not have any like for like replacements for currently.

I expect them to sit deeper than they did against Fulham and are hopefully more organised out of possession! Ultimately, I think City's wide players and United's inability to pick up late runs from midfield will end up being their downfall.

I definitely want Man United getting all three points this weekend and hopefully close the gap on Spurs and Villa. It’s a derby game and you always want to win a derby game, none of the other teams matter, so hopefully we’ll get all three points.

Rishay Bhima

I feel like we are either going to get badly beaten or it will be a draw. If we work hard and play out of our socks, a draw is there for the taking. But that being said, we also have plenty of injuries, and will be without Hojlund, which is devastating.

Regardless of what happens in this game, I believe City will take the title. Kevin de Bruyne is back and looking at his best, while Haaland just doesn’t stop scoring, so I feel like this game will have little bearing in what transpires at the end of the season. City will run away with the title. If I had the choice though, I would want Arsenal winning the title. They are in really good form and if they can just hold their nerve towards the end of the season, it could be possible. I would hate to see Liverpool win it.

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