Manchester rivals set for early-season litmus test at Old Trafford

After all the pre-season optimism, Manchester United’s start to the Premier League season has been inconsistent but Sunday’s derby against visiting Manchester City offers Michael Carrick’s side an early chance to show they are genuine contenders. City, meanwhile, arrive at Old Trafford with a perfect record under new manager Enzo Maresca, although their performances have suggested there is still work to do. The first Manchester derby of the campaign should therefore provide a clearer indication of where both clubs stand. Carrick’s impact at United last season as interim manager after the club’s parting of ways with Ruben Amorim in January was dramatic, beginning with a 2-0 home victory over City. His calm authority resulted in 12 wins from his 17 Premier League games in charge, with only two defeats, as United finished third and returned to the Champions League. A surprisingly quiet transfer window this time in which Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos were the main signings was followed by an opening day 2-0 defeat by newly promoted Hull City – a result that gave United an abrupt reality check. Bruno Fernandes’s hat-trick inspired a 5-2 comeback victory against Ipswich Town but United were left frustrated as they conceded a stoppage-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Everton. UNITED’S DEFENSIVE WORRIES Former United defender Gary Neville highlighted their defending after the Everton game and believes that unless it is fixed it could become their Achilles heel this season. “I don’t think it’s going to go away and that’s my big fear,” the Sky Sports analyst said this week. City will provide an acid test, especially with Erling Haaland firing on all cylinders having scored both goals in the 2-0 win at Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday to make it five goals in three games so far this season. Maresca could not have wished for a better start to what many regard as ‘mission impossible’ in following Pep Guardiola. A huge close-season spending spree has given Maresca a vast array of new tools but it may take the Italian some time before he knows exactly what to do with them all. “I’m very happy,” Maresca said after City’s battling 1-0 win over promoted Coventry City. “Also, because I’m getting to know the players day by day, we are getting to know each other. “That means we are going to be better and better.” IMPERIOUS ARSENAL START Worryingly for City, and others with pretensions of a title challenge, champions Arsenal have begun the season imperiously, with three wins out of three in the Premier League and a hard-fought 1-0 Champions League victory at Napoli on Wednesday. Stability has been the order of the day at Arsenal with Mikel Arteta’s side straight back into last term’s groove. Arsenal visit Sunderland on Saturday – a fixture they will be wary of after being held to a 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light last season. Liverpool’s campaign took a while to get going under Andoni Iraola but after wins at Ipswich and then Atletico Madrid in the Champions League they will relish another home clash versus a Fulham side managed by former Liverpool player Alvaro Arbeloa. After three successive defeats and seven goals conceded, Arbeloa has the dubious honour of being the first manager this season to warrant the ‘under pressure’ tag. Another boss who could join him is Tottenham Hotspur’s Roberto de Zerbi. Despite a £300 million ($405.03 million) close-season splurge, Spurs are winless in their first three games and without a goal. Little more than three months ago, highly rated Italian De Zerbi completed his Tottenham rescue job as they beat Everton on the final day of the season to secure their top-flight status. On Saturday, David Moyes’ Everton are the visitors again and, while the stakes are not so high, De Zerbi needs a victory to instil some belief that the money has been well spent.