Richard Martin

Pep Guardiola hailed Kyle Walker as one of the greatest right-backs ever and is certain that he will get a big reception from Manchester City fans when he returns to the Etihad Stadium with Burnley on Saturday. Walker helped City win six Premier League titles and the Champions League in a seven-and-a-half-year spell with the club, although he had a sour end to his time there.

For a player so crucial to Manchester City’s most glorious period ever, the manner of Kyle Walker's departure was bizarre to say the least. Pep Guardiola had let the cat out of the bag that the then-captain wanted to leave the club on loan for AC Milan at the end of a press conference after City had hammered Salford City in the FA Cup in early January.

On statistics alone, it might look like Bryan Mbeumo has made a slow start to life with Manchester United. He has one goal in his five matches since his £71 million ($95m) move from Brentford, contrasting with four goals at the same stage of last season with the Bees. But ask any fan who has been their best player so far in this stop-start season and they will most likely name the Cameroon forward.

Phil Foden continued his wonderful start to the season by starring in Manchester City's 2-0 win at Huddersfield Town as Pep Guardiola's side strolled into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with little resistance. Foden scored the opener and then set up Savinho, whose second-half goal killed off any hope of a fightback from the League Two side.

When Marcus Rashford was unveiled as a new Barcelona signing in August, he kept coming back to one word: discipline. For a player who had missed training after going on a drunken night out in Belfast a year ago and been forced out of Manchester United by Ruben Amorim for his lack of application, it was an intriguing theme for him to draw upon.

With two Big Six clashes and a Merseyside derby, there was a lot to get excited about in the Premier League this weekend. And with last-minute goals, red cards aplenty and a couple of narrative shifts, it sure did not disappoint. Pep Guardiola did his best Jose Mourinho impression and took his Manchester City side to Arsenal to defend deep and play on the counterattack.

Last week, Ruben Amorim suffered the ignominy of Manchester City fans chanting his name ironically. But last night, his Manchester United players proved that they believe in his project and are ready to fight for him. Facing Chelsea was probably not what the coach wanted in his next outing after the chastening derby defeat but his side made a flying start and eventually earned a 2-1 win.

"Off the pitch I'm a calm guy that just wants to have fun and enjoy my life," Erling Haaland told Time Magazine in July. "On the pitch I want to attack like a Viking." The Manchester City striker's love for the Scandinavian seafaring conquerors is well known. He dressed up as a Viking at a Halloween party just a few months after joining City. And while speaking to the prestigious American current affairs magazine, he zeroed in on his fascination with them.

Manchester United finally beat a top-level opponent under Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford as they secured a 2-1 win over Chelsea, courtesy of goals from Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro. And yet the Portuguese coach should still face hard questions after his side made life hard for themselves despite taking a 2-0 lead against 10 men, following Robert Sanchez's early red card.

Manchester United have posted their highest ever amount of revenue for last season, despite having their worst campaign on the pitch in 51 years. On Wednesday, the Red Devils published their latest financial results, which they said show 'the enduring strength and resilience of the club' as well as the benefits of 'difficult decisions taken', namely making an extra 200 staff members redundant.

"Naples has always been marginalised by the rest of Italy. It is a city that suffers the most unfair racism," said Diego Maradona. When he played for Napoli in the more prosperous northern cities like Milan and Turin, he and his team-mates would be subjected to banners reading 'Welcome to Italy'; 'Napoli, cholera sufferers' or 'Vesuvius, wash them with fire'.

Erling Haaland was back to his very best as the striker led Manchester City to a thumping derby win over Manchester United on Sunday. The Norwegian made yet more history, becoming the joint-top scorer in the fixture as well as the fastest player to reach 90 Premier League goals. And a beaming Pep Guardiola declared that Haaland was in the best form of his career.

Just after Phil Foden had set Manchester City on their way to their damning 3-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday, fans could be heard chanting Ruben Amorim's name. At first it seemed that United's 3,000 visiting supporters were defiantly backing their coach, and yet it soon became clear that it was in fact City's fans who were doing the singing.

Manchester United were out-classed and over-powered by Manchester City in an embarrassing 3-0 defeat in Sunday's derby which compounded their poor start to the Premier League season. Luke Shaw was the worst of a terrible bunch of defenders while Benjamin Sekso's abject first start summed up the team's limp attack. United have just four points from their first four games and it could get worse before it gets better as they face Chelsea next.

The club have made their worst start to a season in 21 years and two daunting fixtures could make things even grimmer for the serial-winning coach

Rayan Cherki has been tipped to be as successful at Manchester City as Kevin De Bruyne by Gael Clichy. The former City left-back used to coach the maverick attacking midfielder when he played for France's under-21 side and gave special insight into what he can offer Pep Guardiola's side. And he outlined the one aspect of his game that he needs to improve upon in order to truly shine at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola has claimed he would not swap his Manchester City striker Erling Haaland for any other player in the world.

The precociously talented winger has the ability to lead the Red Devils back to the top - if they are lucky enough to keep hold of him