Manchester rivals suffer three o´clock woe

Manchester City and Manchester United both lost on Saturday, breaking a decade-old wait for the two rivals to fall to a defeat in a 3pm kick-off.

It is rare for both United and City to play in the traditional Saturday slot, but that was the case as Erik ten Hag’s side hosted Crystal Palace and Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions headed to Wolves.

Yet neither team will be in a rush to remember this particular afternoon in a hurry, as they both lost in a 3pm Saturday kick-off for the first time since September 28, 2013.

United lost 1-0, with Joachim Andersen’s goal making Roy Hodgson the first manager to go unbeaten in five successive Premier League trips to Old Trafford. City, meanwhile, went down 2-1 at Molineux, with Hwang Hee-chan getting the winner for Wolves.

2013 – Today is the first time since 28th September 2013 that both Manchester City and Manchester United have lost a Saturday 3pm kick-off in the Premier League on the same date. Rarity. pic.twitter.com/pJDbEkUSnc

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 30, 2023

No Rodri, big problems

City lost to Newcastle United in the EFL Cup on Wednesday and, without star midfielder Rodri – who was serving the second of a three-match suspension for the red card he received against Nottingham Forest – they found themselves on the end of a defeat again at Wolves.

Since Rodri made his Premier League debut in August 2019, City have lost five of 15 matches without the Spaniard in the competition (W9 D1); by contrast, they have lost just five of their last 67 league games when Rodri has featured (W53 D9).