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Key occasions
Southampton are relegated: It’s been within the submit 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 purpose is to seize a pair extra factors and keep away from Derby’s undesirable document.
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, an honest consequence 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.
Workforce 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 – until 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 each side which have been disappointing at finest, existential crises at their worst. Of the various 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 crew, it was one they three away, happening to lose their subsequent three league video games as Ruben Amorim talked brazenly of a relegation battle. Each groups have, comparatively talking, improved for the reason that depths of midwinter however their fragile rebuilding efforts threat being reset in the present day.
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 expenses nonetheless hanging within the air. Nonetheless, their cross-town would possibly fortunately commerce locations.
Manchester United are presently 14th within the desk; they’ve received a 3rd of their league video games to date, and are but to win two consecutively this season. These are statistics which might have appeared not possible even because the solar set on the Alex Ferguson period, but they barely start to inform the story. With extra protests anticipated in the present day and worry of irreversible decline, the precise soccer feels secondary.
Previous Trafford is a deeply damaged place as of late, however it’s nonetheless the bottom the place Metropolis followers most need to see their crew win. Victory for both facet in the present day could also be a plaster over festering wounds, however it’s nonetheless a win on derby day. Kick-off: 4.30pm BST.