Peter Crouch believes Manchester City will come away from Old Trafford with all three points when they face Manchester United in the derby. Although he warned that United’s attacking options are sharp enough to cause Enzo Maresca’s side real problems.
Speaking on That Peter Crouch Podcast, the former England striker suggested that a difficult run of results could galvanise Michael Carrick’s side ahead of the meeting with their local rivals.
Crouch said: “I think it might be the catalyst for them really.”
He went on to argue that City, despite their unbeaten start to the season, have not been at their sharpest.
“I know City have won all three but I don’t think they’ve been in top form and I think United can hurt you,” he said.
The 45-year-old pointed to the quality littered throughout United’s forward line as reason for optimism among the home supporters at Old Trafford.
“I look at [Bryan] Mbeumo, [Matheus] Cunha, [Bruno] Fernandes, [Marcus] Rashford, there’s players in there, they can hurt you,” Crouch added, highlighting a quartet that has given United’s attack fresh unpredictability this season.
Crouch settles on narrow City win after run of misfiring predictions
Despite his praise for United’s firepower, Crouch stopped short of backing them to win the fixture outright when pressed for a definitive scoreline.
He admitted his recent predictions had let him down, a run of poor form he was keen to address before committing to a final answer.
“Usually for now, I would say United,” Crouch said, before reconsidering. “But it’s been biting me every week, I think I’ve been a bit too relaxed with my predictions and that’s biting me on the arse big time.”
He ultimately plumped for the narrowest of City wins.
“So I’m going to have to go 1-0 to Manchester City,” he concluded.
The prediction will be a welcome one inside the City camp, with Maresca still bedding in his methods at the Etihad following his move from Chelsea.
The Italian has overseen an unbeaten start domestically, though Crouch’s assessment suggests there is still work to do before City are firing on all cylinders.
Meanwhile, Mbeumo and Cunha’s arrivals at Old Trafford over the past year have added directness and unpredictability to a the Red side built around Fernandes’ creativity and Rashford’s pace.
Therefore, Crouch’s comments reflect a broader feeling among pundits that United are more dangerous than their league position suggests.
For Manchester City, a narrow win at Old Trafford, of the kind Crouch is predicting, would go a long way to easing any lingering questions over the transition from Pep Guardiola’s long reign at the club.
Old Trafford has not always been a happy hunting ground for City in recent seasons, and United’s players will be well aware that a home victory would offer a significant psychological boost regardless of where the two sides sit in the table.
But if Crouch’s instinct proves correct, it will be City’s away-day resilience, rather than United’s attacking talent, that decides the outcome.
