Jadon Sancho is a London kid. He grew up supporting Chelsea, but Manchester City scouts got him into their academy with a promise of supreme development and first-team football for the ambitious club. When he was just 15, he moved north to Manchester and spent two years training with the sky blues. But the chance never came. The talented winger made his name at Borussia Dortmund and then signed for Manchester United, City’s today and forever rivals.It’s time for revenge.Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was determined to hand opportunities to boys from the academy despite the club having the financial muscle to go and buy just about any player. But despite that, Sancho would end up overlooked as fellow academy graduate Phil Foden became one of the first names on the first-team team sheet. It hurt young Jadon, who demanded a move away. Arsenal and Tottenham were keen on taking him, but City sent him off to Dortmund because they didn’t want him to sign for a Premier League rival. They’ve just delayed the inevitable.Erling Haaland on Pep Guardiola: “The day before a game, he tells us what’s going to happen, and then the next day exactly that happens. It’s crazy! Sometimes I don’t understand how it’s possible.” [via @footballdaily]pic.twitter.com/ClDeRT8ErU— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) September 30, 2022 Today, on 2 October 2022, Jadon Sancho arrives to the Emirates Stadium wearing a red shirt of Manchester United. The scene is set for the winger to show Guardiola that he’s made a terrible mistake when he decided that the lad from Watford wasn’t quite good enough. Today is derby day in Manchester.At United, Sancho has improved with every managerial appointment. Questionably integrated into the squad by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who allowed Sancho additional leave after last year’s Europen Championship, he was dropped less than a month after his full debut and did not tally a single goal or assist under the Norwegian. Ralf Rangnick replaced Solskjaer at Old Trafford and diagnosed Sancho’s mental struggles in his first six months. It was perhaps not a coincidence Sancho’s first United goal was in the first fixture after Solskjaer’s dismissal against Villarreal in the Champions League.##NAJAVA_MECA_6686227##Under Erik ten Hag, Sancho has been consistent with his goalscoring. He already has three goals for United this campaign. Ten Hag has seamlessly switched him back to the left to accommodate new signing Antony on the right.Though United had a dreadful start to the campaign, Ten Hag has done a great job in turning his new side’s fortunes around, and they have won four straight league matches since their 4-0 defeat to Brentford. Two of those victories came against Liverpool and Arsenal, so United showed they are capable of getting big results against tough opposition.Sancho & Haaland – Dinle Beni Bi’ pic.twitter.com/RlVDKjvUBK— arda (@s4nchoo) October 1, 2022 But don’t forget that Guardiola still has some heavy weapons in his arsenal – despite allowing Sancho to leave. He can still remain confident because he has Erling Haaland in his ranks. The Norwegian sensation has made an impressive start to life in English football after notching 14 goals in just nine games already.United boss wants to take advantage of the fact Sancho and Haaland used to be teammates at BVB but that the big Norwegian is not the only threat.”When you have a player who has previously played with an opposing player, you ask him. I like Haaland’s attitude, how he is on the pitch. He is direct, his life is about goals and he is direct to the opponent’s goal. He can also create goals. I respect him, but we are not playing against Haaland, we are playing against Manchester City.”🔴 Primed for his first Manchester derby. #MUFC || #MCIMUN pic.twitter.com/sqR1lmlzWc— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 30, 2022 The bragging rights held by the blue half of Manchester since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement over nine years ago is well documented. Despite winning only three major trophies to City’s 12 in that period and finishing an average of 17 points behind their local rivals, United have spent more money on new signings than the reigning champions.Today, all talk goes through the window. It’s derby day!PREMIER LEAGUE – ROUND 9SaturdayArsenal – Tottenham 3-1 (1-1)/Partey 20, Jesus 49, Xhaka 67 – Kane 31 pen/Bournemouth – Brentford 0-0Crystal Palace – Chelsea 1-2 (1-1)/Edouard 7 – Aubameyang 39, Gallagher 90/Fulham – Newcastle 1-4 (0-3)/Reid 88 – Wilson 11, Almiron 33, 57, Longstaff 43/Liverpool – Brighton 3-3 (1-2)/Firmino 34, 54, Webster 63 – Trossard 4, 18, 83/Southampton – Everton 1-2 (0-0)/Aribo 49 – Coady 52, McNeil 54/West Ham – Wolverhampton 2-0 (1-0)/Scamacca 29, Bowen 54/Sunday16:00: (1.40) Man.City (5.30) Man.Utd. (8.00)18:30: (2.45) Leeds (3.40) Aston Villa (3.05)Monday22:00: (1.80) Leicester (3.70) Nott.Forest (5.00)***odds are subject to change***
