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Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has put up a social media post ahead of his side's Premier League clash against Manchester United this weekend.
The 192nd Manchester Derby will take place on Sunday, March 4, at the Etihad Stadium, with plenty at stake for both teams.
City are second in the standings, a point behind leaders Liverpool and one ahead of third-placed Arsenal, and are in the midst of an extremely tight title race. Any slip-ups from Pep Guardiola's men could see them lose ground on their quest to become the first team to win four consecutive Premier League titles.
Haaland will likely be key to their chances on Sunday and seemed in high spirits ahead of the match. On Saturday, he posted an image of him on X (formerly Twitter) smiling during a Manchester City training session, with the caption:
"Manchester derby coming up! 🔜"
The Norwegian enters this fixture as the league's top-scorer this term with 17 strikes so far. He notably scored five times as Manchester City beat Luton Town 6-2 in the fifth round of the FA Cup in their most recent fixture.
Manchester United, meanwhile, are sixth in the league, eight points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with 12 matches to play. With Villa taking on Luton this weekend, the Red Devils could end the Matchday well adrift of the final UEFA Champions League spot.
Manchester United's Erling Haaland boasts an excellent record against Manchester United
Erling Haaland has gone up against Manchester United on four occasions across the Premier League and FA Cup since joining Manchester City in the summer of 2022. He has netted five goals and laid out three assists in those games, winning thrice and losing just once.
Haaland's first match against United was in the league in October 2022. The 23-year-old scored a hat-trick (34', 37', 64') and also set up two of Phil Foden's three goals to help City record a comprehensive 6-3 win at the Etihad.
He did not find the back of the net in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford in January 2023, which the Citizens lost 2-1. Haaland also failed to score in last season's FA Cup final, with Ilkay Gundogan's brace lifting Manchester City to a 2-1 win.
However, the Norwegian was back at it when Pep Guardiola's men visited Manchester United in the league in October last year. He scored twice (26', 49') and set up Foden's 80th-minute goal as City eased to a 3-0 victory.
