Before anything else: today marks 25 years since September 11th. New York remembers, and so do we. If today's a hard one for you, take care of yourself.

This week we're staying put in one city. Manchester's got the derby, the music, and the homecoming story, so pull up a stool: this is a full Manchester takeover edition. Here's what's on tap:

Let's tap in.

On Monday we covered some basic history of soccer rivalries. Today we’re going to dig into one of the world’s great sporting rivalries. No, it’s not Frank and Sal who still are not talking.

“We’re talking Manchester United vs Manchester City, right?”

Indeed we are. But before then, the results are in from Monday's poll asking which US rivalry hits closest to a soccer derby:

I’d have to agree. Duke-UNC has the geography and the loathing just right.

Now let's get back to this weekend.

This Sunday, September 13, Manchester United host Manchester City at Old Trafford, 10:30 AM ET. It’s meeting number 199 between the sides. United lead the all-time series 81 wins to City's 62, with 55 draws. That overall history favors United. The recent history does not.

City walk in with a perfect scorecard so far. Three games, three wins, nine points, top of the table.

United walk in bruised, four points from three games, still wincing from a 2-2 draw at Everton where the hosts snatched a 96th-minute equalizer, the soccer equivalent of losing a bet you'd already spent the winnings on.

Zoom out and it gets worse for United. City have won six of the last nine Premier League titles under Pep Guardiola, capped by a historic treble in 2023 that finally landed the club its first-ever Champions League.

United have gotten through ten permanent and caretaker managers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, and haven't won the league since. Last season's surprise third-place finish under Michael Carrick was the first real bright spot in years, and it's the only reason they're back in the Champions League at all.

“So City just turn up and collect three points? Borrrrrinnngg.”

Wrong bar, pal. The league table and recent history count for nothing on derby day.

Derby day is like your drinking habits when the holiday season comes around. Whatever “moderation” your Sober October efforts stood for in the build-up to the big celebration go out the window.

Your tolerance these days would be on par with a college freshman? Who cares. Your knee won’t last 2 minutes on the dancefloor, never mind the 20-minute walk from the bar to get there? Don’t matter. There’s just something in the air on these special occasions that washes all your prior worries away.

It’s the same story with this exact fixture. City have swaggered into Old Trafford as massive underdogs and taken a 6-1 victory. United have travelled to City’s own Etihad Stadium in 13th place and walked away winners. If the Manchester Derby does anything, it swallows favorites whole.

Whatever recent form and historic edges either side may hold, Sunday is its own animal, and Old Trafford is going to be loud.

Here's the trivia to drop if you’re watching the game with friends.

Manchester's other great double act - Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis - are City fans. Besides writing half the songs on The Tap-Inn jukebox, they’re also season ticket holders and the type of people who would happily pick the Etihad over a family reunion.

Their reunion tour documentary, fittingly titled "Don't Look Back in Anger," hits theaters today. Plus, word is they’re soon announcing gigs in the Etihad Stadium for next year. Perfect timing.

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/ˈfɜːɡi taɪm/ 🔊

phrase · soccer

USED IN A SENTENCE
"Four minutes of stoppage time, and somehow we are still playing in the seventh? Classic United Fergie Time.”

It’s weekend four in the Premier League and the early table already has a shape to it.

Arsenal and Manchester City are both perfect through three games, level on nine points, with City ahead only on goals scored. Newly promoted Hull City sit third with seven points and haven't conceded a goal in three matches. Chelsea round out the top four. Let’s check out this weekend’s big games.

See the full fixture list and kickoff times.

Matchday 1 of the new league phase played out across three nights this week, and there was no shortage of goals. If you skipped it, no judgment: it can be hard to catch these games during the working day. That's what this section is for.

See the full round-up here.

Sometimes though, the story isn’t about what happened on the pitch. It’s about everything else that contributes to it.

Manchester United 4-0 Sabah: It’s been a very Manchester-heavy edition of the newsletter today, so despite the 4-0 loss, I want to focus on Sabah for a moment. Here’s some fun facts:

Pour one out for the Azerbaijanis. Here’s hoping better nights lie ahead.

What to watch for this weekend: Goals. After loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona, he's back in a United shirt for the first time in 18 months this season. He’s got 7 career goals against City.

Fact: Rashford isn't just a United player, he's a Manchester one. Born and raised in Wythenshawe, a few miles down the road from Old Trafford, he came through United's academy as a local kid living the dream.

Toast: A pint of Boddingtons, brewed in Manchester since 1778 and still the closest thing the city has to an official beer.

Follow him here: @marcusrashford

⚽ Goal of the week: Alexis Mac Allister's left-footed screamer won it for Liverpool against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, blasted home from 20 yards with his weaker foot.

🎉 Fanzone: German second-division side VfL Osnabrück unveiled a fully functioning mechanical rollercoaster tifo before their cup match against Bayern Munich, arguably the most elaborate fan display ever put together in a stadium.

📅 On this day: September 11, 1895: Aston Villa put the FA Cup trophy in a local shop window to show it off but it was stolen overnight and never recovered. The FA fined Villa £25 to pay for a replacement.

🐯 Underdog corner: Como 1907 were rotting in Italy's amateur fourth division in 2019. This week they made their Champions League debut and beat RB Leipzig 4-1.

👕 Wardrobe watch: Manchester United's new third kit draws inspiration from Salford's historic Lads and Girls Club, done up in ivory, maroon, and deep green.

🔗 Most clicked from Monday: The most notorious tackle in Manchester derby history

That’s all, folks. Sláinte.

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