Manchester Derby Poses Maresca’s First Major Test as Chelsea Face Hull

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca faces his first major test of the Premier League season when his side travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United in Sunday’s Manchester derby.

City have won all three of their Premier League matches under Maresca and also secured a Champions League victory over Porto, giving the former Chelsea manager a perfect competitive start since taking charge.

However, the derby will provide a stronger indication of City’s progress following a summer of significant squad changes.

Manchester United, meanwhile, have endured an inconsistent beginning under Michael Carrick. They suffered a 2-0 home defeat to newly promoted Hull City before recovering with a 5-2 victory over Ipswich Town and drawing 2-2 away to Everton.

Carrick guided United to third place last season after taking over on an interim basis and recorded 12 victories in 17 Premier League matches, including a 2-0 win over City.

Maresca has also had to integrate several new signings into his squad, although City's results have remained perfect. Nico O’Reilly is expected to return for the derby after missing the previous two matches, while Jeremy Doku remains sidelined with a calf injury.

The match will be the 199th Manchester derby, with United seeking to improve their early-season form and City aiming to maintain their winning momentum.

Elsewhere, Chelsea will travel to Hull City seeking to end a difficult start to the campaign. Hull shocked United on the opening weekend and will look to produce another strong performance against a Chelsea side still searching for consistency.

The contrasting fortunes of the clubs have added significance to the weekend fixtures, with the Manchester derby expected to provide an early measure of the two sides’ ambitions under their respective managers.