MANCHESTER: Manchester United travel to historic rivals Leeds on Sunday with pressure mounting on manager Michael Carrick, while Manchester City aim to extend their perfect Premier League start amid uncertainty over their future.
Brighton could be among the big winners if City face severe sanctions for breaching financial rules.
The Seagulls are riding high, just two points behind second-placed Arsenal, ahead of their grudge match against Crystal Palace.
AFP Sport looks at the pick of the action from the English top flight this weekend.
Man Utd’s worst start for 40 years
United are off to their worst league start in 40 years and were plunged further into chaos after defender Lisandro Martinez criticised the club’s hierarchy for a lack of investment in the squad following Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid.
The Argentine took aim at technical director Jason Wilcox after the Red Devils signed only three midfielders during the transfer window.
But Martinez himself has been among those most culpable for the team’s miserable start to the campaign, having played a part in goals conceded against Fulham and Tottenham in recent weeks.
United have won just one of their opening six league games and were also dumped out of the League Cup by Brighton last month.
Leeds last beat the Red Devils at Elland Road in 2002 but inflicted the only home defeat of Carrick’s interim spell in charge last season when the sides met in April.
Carrick is increasingly at risk of becoming the latest manager unable to reverse Manchester United’s sharp decline since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
But he said the hostile atmosphere awaiting his side presented the perfect opportunity to bounce back.
“What a great game on Sunday to prepare for. It’s a fantastic game for us, for the club, for the history, for the supporters,” Carrick said.
“Everything to do with the game is great, so we’ll be ready for that.”
City case leaves league in limbo
Manchester City sit comfortably at the top of the table with six wins from six league games, but that may count for little if they fail to overturn a guilty verdict on more than 100 charges of breaching Premier League rules.
Enzo Maresca’s men put that distraction aside to win 3-0 at Liverpool last weekend and responded impressively in the second half despite losing 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in a thrilling Champions League tie on Tuesday.
But the uncertainty surrounding their future has left the entire league in limbo.
City deny any wrongdoing, and a case that began eight years ago is expected to take at least another few months before the appeal is heard and a potential sanction announced.
“My underlying thought is none of this is good for football and there are no winners,” former England manager Gareth Southgate said.
City can extend their lead at the top to six points when Ipswich visit the Etihad on Saturday, with Arsenal not in action until 24 hours later, when they travel to Nottingham Forest.
‘Ruthless’ Brighton eye Champions League
Arsenal’s only defeat this season came in a 3-0 thrashing by Brighton, whose remarkable rise could reach new heights this season as several established giants struggle.
Brighton have climbed through the divisions and into European competition on the back of owner Tony Bloom’s expertise in data analytics.
But they have yet to play in the Champions League.
Despite routinely selling their prized assets to wealthier clubs, Brighton’s smart recruitment of players and coaches has allowed them to continue to thrive.
That has also made them a favourite among neutrals, but manager Fabian Hurzeler wants his side to show a more ruthless side against rivals Palace on Sunday.
“We want to be ruthless. We want to create this energetic atmosphere where it makes it so hard to come to this place,” Hurzeler said. “We have to keep building this together with our fans and not be the nice football club any more.”