Premier League Betting Tips: Player Specials for Saturday’s Crucial Manchester Derby
Born in the south east of Ireland, Simon put his life-long love of football to good use when he started a successful independent blog in 2010. That opened up an alternative route to a career in journalism, and having had work published across a number of sites and publications, Simon joined the staff at Spotlight Sports Group in 2018.
On Saturday evening in the Premier league’s televised late kick-off, local antagonists City and United will wage war on an Etihad battleground in the 179th Manchester Derby.
It’s a fixture that’s tangled up and twisted by knots of plotlines, with a history of conflict that dates all the way back to the first skirmish between the clubs in 1881.
The clubs have had almost a complete role reversal over the last decade, with City moving past their rivals to claim dominion over Manchester, leaving United to play the role of plucky underdog.
City and United will reprise their rolls as favourites and long-shots on Saturday evening for what promises to be another compelling contest between the Manchester giants.
Ahead of the action, we’ve compiled a list of player special betting tips for the Manchester Derby that we think are well worth your consideration. Check them out below.
You can find more exclusive Manchester City vs Manchester United predictions in our detailed preview of the game.
Daniel James over 0.5 shots
Rapid Welsh winger Daniel James enjoyed an explosive start to his Manchester United career, and though his form has tailed off a little in recent weeks, he remains a permanent fixture in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s starting XI.
In terms of his goal threat, alongside netting three times in the Premier League this term, James has averaged 1.5 attempts per 90 minutes of top flight action.
While that average might seem low on the low side, it’s worth noting that James hit at least one attempt on goal in all but two of his 15 Premier League appearances since his switch to United from Swansea City, and if the 22-year old gets just one shot away against City on Saturday, bet365 will pay out.
Kevin de Bruyne over 0.5 assists
Belgian midfielder Kevin de Bruyne still ranks top of the pile in the Premier League for assists so far this season, and even though the 27-year old hasn’t set up a goal since late October, nobody has come close to matching his overall haul of nine.
De Bruyne failed to notch a single assist in any of his last five Premier League appearances, though his City teammates are more to blame than he is for his uncharacteristic dry spell.
The creative maestro averaged a impressive 3.8 key passes per 90 minutes since grabbing his last assist against Villa, and with figures like that it feels like a matter of time before he starts racking up the assists again.
Bernardo Silva over 41.5 passes
Portuguese schemer Bernardo Silva is one of the key components in Pep Guardiola’s technically talented Citizens midfield, and the 25-year old is certain to have a pivotal part to play for the champions in Saturday’s Manchester Derby.
Somewhat surprisingly, Bernardo has played just 37.8 passes per Premier League appearance for City this season, placing him way down the list of the club’s most prolific ball distributors in 2019/20.
However, that statistic has been skewered by Silva’s flurry of appearances from the bench this term, and his passes per game average from his Premier League starts sits at a much healthier looking 49.4.
With that considered, we think Bernardo Silva is overpriced this weekend to hit over 41.5 passes against United in a game that City will enjoy the lions share of possession in.
Ashley Young to get booked
Veteran fullback Ashley Young returned to fold for Man Utd in their mid-week win over Spurs after missing a string of Premier League matches through suspension.
Before his enforced absence, Young had picked up five yellow cards in seven starts in all competitions for United, and the 34-year old’s bookings total for the season stands at six overall.
Four of the five Premier League yellow cards amassed by Young since the summer were brandished in away fixtures, and against the division’s most productive front-line, the former Villa winger looks a prime candidate to land himself in trouble with the officials again.
Ashley Young also features in our Premier League cards and corners predictions for this week. Check out the rest of our selections plus our 24/1 acca now!
Marcus Rashford over 0.5 shots on target
Marcus Rashford has been in sparkling form over the past six weeks, rattling the net 10 times in 10 appearances for club and country during an incredible purple patch.
In his latest match-defining performance, Rashford scored both goals for United in their 2-1 win over Tottenham on Wednesday, and the 22-year old might have doubled his tally for the evening with a little more luck.
Rashford averaged a palm-stinging 4.1 shots per 90 minutes across his last six Premier League starts for United, and the England international hit the target with 20 of the 48 attempts he has mustered in the top-flight this season in total.
With Rashford in such breath-taking individual form, he looks generously priced to test Ederson with at least one shot on Saturday.
Don’t forget – You can also take a look at all of our match previews and betting tips for the weekend’s action on our Premier League predictions page.
