Manchester United vs Manchester City: Premier League preview, predictions & bet builder tips

• Man City to beat Man United in the Manchester Derby at Old Trafford

• Phil Foden backed to bag another goal against City's fierce rivals

• Luke Shaw tipped to pick up a card, while Benjamin Sesko is expected to impress

Ahead of the highly anticipated Manchester Derby, Ladbrokes shares its Man United vs Man City preview, with expert predictions, bet builder tips, and live odds.

Michael Carrick's first game as interim Manchester United boss couldn't be much harder, with local rivals City making the short journey to Old Trafford for what should be a compelling watch to kick off the weekend's Premier League action.

Read on for our Man United vs Man City Bet Builder, and be sure to check out our predictions for every Premier League match this weekend.

• Fixture: Manchester United vs Manchester City

• Date: Saturday, 17 January, 2026

• Kick-off: 12:30 GMT

• Venue: Old Trafford

Our prediction: Manchester United 1-3 Manchester City

We're expecting the blue half of Manchester to maintain the bragging rights this weekend, with City following up September's 3-0 win against United with another victory here. Uncertainty behind the scenes at Old Trafford has been reflected on the pitch all season, and with City needing to keep the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, Michael Carrick's United could be in for a tough afternoon.

Predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Lammens / Dalot, Heaven, Martinez, Shaw / Casemiro, Ugarte / Mount, Fernandes, Cunha / Sesko

Predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma / Nunes, Khusanov, Alleyne, O'Reilly / Rodri, Silva / Cherki, Foden, Doku / Haaland

With seven Premier League goals in 12 appearances against Man City's fierce rivals, Phil Foden is no stranger to stepping up in the derby, and we think he'll add to his tally with another strike at Old Trafford this weekend.

The 25-year-old already has 10 goals to his name across all competitions this season, and with the likes of Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku, and new man Antoine Semenyo creating chances at will, Foden should be able to find the space to test Senne Lammens in the United net. Whether he's shooting from range or ghosting into the box, Phil Foden can always sniff out a goal - so we're backing him to get on the scoresheet here.

After a brace against Burnley was quickly followed by a goal in the FA Cup, big-money signing Benjamin Sesko may finally be finding his feet in a Manchester United shirt, and we're tipping the 22-year-old to have a couple of shots in the Manchester Derby on Saturday afternoon.

Sesko doubled his Premier League tally in the space of ten minutes at Turf Moor last week, and coming up against a weakened Man City defence, the Serb will fancy his chances of testing Donnarumma and making his mark on the derby. Getting the ball into Sesko's feet may well be the home side's best route to goal this weekend, and with the big striker averaging over two shots per game in the Premier League, we're backing him to get a couple more away here.

An extended run in the side has been a long time coming for Luke Shaw, and after sitting out the FA Cup defeat to Brighton last week, he'll be raring to go again against Man City - but we do expect him to endure a difficult day against the likes of Doku and Semenyo.

The England full-back has plenty of experience these days, but against such sharp, technically-gifted wingers, Shaw could struggle to protect Man United's left-hand side on Saturday. The 30-year-old has already picked up three yellow cards this season, and in what should be a feisty, full-blooded affair, we can see him being on the wrong end of a decision. Referee Anthony Taylor could be in for a busy afternoon, and we're expecting Luke Shaw's name to be taken at some point.

Wrapping up our Manchester United vs Manchester City preview and bet builder tips, we're diving into the match betting market, with favourites Man City our pick to take all three points from the Manchester Derby.

Pep Guardiola's side come into this one on a 13-game unbeaten run across all competitions, with a strong Carabao Cup semi-final victory in the bank from Tuesday night, so confidence will be high on the blue side of the city. United, on the other hand, haven't won in five, and have only picked up one home win since October, so interim boss Michael Carrick has a thankless first game ahead of him.

The stage is set for somebody in red to become a hero, but with City looking so strong, we're backing the visitors to leave with all three points.

You can bet on each of these markets individually, or combine them to create one large Manchester United vs Manchester City Bet Builder.

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All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.