Fierce local derbies are the bread and butter of English football, and they don’t come much more intense than the Premier League showdown between Manchester United and Manchester City.

With United on the up last season under Michael Carrick, and City still getting acquainted with their new head coach Enzo Maresca, could an upset be on the cards at Old Trafford on Monday (02:30 AEST kick off)?

Quick Picks

Our pick: Man City to Win

Value bet: Man City Over 1.5 Goals

Long shot: ‘Yes’ for the ‘Both Teams To Score & O/U 2.5 Goals’ market

Betting Preview

United had a galling experience against Everton in their last Premier League outing, twice going ahead before being pegged back by stunning strikes from their opponents.

Whether misfortune or not, that means that Carrick’s side have now conceded two goals in each of their three opening EPL games – and if you’re showing signs of defensively vulnerability, few teams on earth are better placed to take advantage than Manchester City.

The Cityzens have won all three of their Premier League games so far, although in truth it hasn’t all been plain sailing.

They needed an injury time strike from Josip Gvardiol to see off Bournemouth in their opening match, while Coventry City created a hatful of good chances in their 0-1 defeat last time out.

In addition, they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Arsenal in the Community Shield on August 16.

Maresca is still getting his style across to his players, while injuries to Nico O’Reilly and Jeremy Doku have also been ill-timed.

On the flipside, City have an extra 48 hours to prepare for this fixture compared to United, who will have to wait two days extra to make their return to the Champions League.

Could City’s deep squad and extra prep time be the difference on Monday?

Betting Markets to Watch

It’s not often that punters have an opportunity to bet on Manchester City at ‘odds against’ prices, so that immediately catches the eye here.

Manchester United might be a stronger proposition now then they have been in a long time, but there does seem to be a defensive vulnerability to a team that is set up to attack.

Individually, there’s no doubt the Red Devils have better players in the attacking third of the pitch than the defensive third.

And that’s a concept that suggests we can expect goals in this game , with City often devastating in attack – no matter which combination of players Maresca chooses to field – but occasionally frail at the back.

Remember, City have conceded in 2/3 Premier League games so far… and that perhaps should have been three had Coventry taken any of the three big chances they carved out.

It is worth digging into the EPL form analysis to see how those defensive numbers stack up before you decide.

The sense is that Manchester City are simply a better team than their local rivals, and that – allied to the extra preparation time – suggests they can be favoured to win at Old Trafford on Monday.

Our Prediction

Check the latest Man Utd vs Man City betting odds at Sportsbet.

In line with our EPL expert tips, our prediction is for a Manchester City victory in this game, however we also recognise that it won’t be easy for them.

City have shown a few defensive vulnerabilities under Maresca so far, and given the quality of United’s first choice front four – Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Marcus Rashford – there’s a strong sense that goals will follow.

At the other end, City’s Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland already has three league goals so far this season.

And United haven’t shown a great amount of defensive stability either, while a Champions League fixture on Friday is hardly ideal preparation.

As such, we’re predicting that City will win an entertaining, high scoring encounter .