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Key occasions
Southampton are relegated: It’s been within the publish for a lot of months now, however Southampton’s 3-1 defeat at Spurs means they’re formally heading again to the Championship. Their solely remaining objective is to seize a pair extra factors and keep away from Derby’s undesirable report.
It’s completed Fulham 3-2 Liverpool – the league leaders’ first away defeat all season. They’re nonetheless 11 factors clear, thoughts you. It’s additionally completed Brentford 0-0 Chelsea, a good end result for Metropolis as they chase a top-five place.
For United, neither Matthijs de Ligt nor Kobbie Mainoo are match sufficient to characteristic in Ruben Amorim’s squad. Harry Maguire is available in to the again three, whereas the one different change from the XI that misplaced at Nottingham Forest is up entrance – Rasmus Højlund changing Joshua Zirkzee.
Metropolis noticed off Leicester in midweek with a shuffled facet however revert again to the setup that delivered within the second-half at Bournemouth within the FA Cup, with Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne amongst these returning. Jack Grealish is again on the bench, however teenager Nico O’Reilly continues at left-back.
Group information
Manchester United (3-4-2-1): Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Mazraoui; Dalot, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Fernandes, Garnacho; Højlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Lindelöf, Mount, Zirkzee, Eriksen, Shaw, Amass, Obi, Kukonki.
Manchester Metropolis (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gündogan, Kovacic; Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Foden; Marmoush.
Subs: Ortega, Grealish, Doku, Nico González, Vitor Reis, Savio, Khusanov,
Lewis, McAtee.
In Sunday’s 2pm video games, the champions-elect are having a shocker at Craven Cottage. Elsewhere, it’s Brentford 0-0 Chelsea and Tottenham 2-0 Southampton – except the Saints can summon a comeback, they’ll be formally relegated.
Pre-game studying
Preamble
Welcome to a derby day to dread, coming on the tail finish of seasons for either side which were disappointing at finest, existential crises at their worst. Of the numerous psyche-shattering defeats that Manchester Metropolis suffered as their imperial armour dramatically fell away, the derby loss in December ranked among the many most brutal, as they nursed a fragile lead earlier than imploding to concede twice on the demise.
If that felt like a present to a generationally dangerous United group, it was one they three away, occurring to lose their subsequent three league video games as Ruben Amorim talked overtly of a relegation battle. Each groups have, comparatively talking, improved because the depths of midwinter however their fragile rebuilding efforts danger being reset right this moment.
The FA Cup apart, Metropolis’s remaining goal is to steer themselves to a top-five end; their title defence has lengthy been over, however defeat right here would formally finish their reign. Uncertainty lies forward with Pep Guardiola’s stamina waning, a squad in mid-overhaul and Premier League costs nonetheless hanging within the air. Nonetheless, their cross-town may fortunately commerce locations.
Manchester United are at present 14th within the desk; they’ve received a 3rd of their league video games to this point, and are but to win two consecutively this season. These are statistics which might have appeared unimaginable even because the solar set on the Alex Ferguson period, but they barely start to inform the story. With extra protests anticipated right this moment and worry of irreversible decline, the precise soccer feels secondary.
Outdated Trafford is a deeply damaged place as of late, but it surely’s nonetheless the bottom the place Metropolis followers most need to see their group win. Victory for both facet right this moment could also be a plaster over festering wounds, but it surely’s nonetheless a win on derby day. Kick-off: 4.30pm BST.
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