EPL's Double Derby Weekend Kicks Off in Old Trafford

The double derby weekend-featuring games between Manchester City and Manchester United, and Tottenham and Arsenal-is one of the most exciting fixtures on the English Premier League calendar. It's also a chance to look in on some of the most valuable properties in global soccer.

On Saturday, Manchester City, which won the EPL last season for the fourth time in five years, will visit Old Trafford to face its biggest rival, Manchester United.

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Man City and Man United have been playing each other since 1881. While United utterly dominated the series through the 1990s and 2000s, the free-spending "noisy neighbors" across town (as legendary former United manager Alex Ferguson once called City) have turned the tables in recent years.

City is favored in this year's derby, and with a victory, the team could make history by completing the league double over Red Devils for the sixth time, more than any other team in the EPL's history.

Manchester City was sold to the Abu Dhabi United Group's owner Sheik Mansour in 2008; the parent company, the City Football Group, owns 12 clubs across four continents. Since the acquisition, the club's performance has evolved on and off the pitch.

Valued at $4 billion in Sportico's Premier League valuations, Man City is valued at $4 billion in Sportico's Premier League valuations, third behind Manchester United  ($4.65 billion) and Fenway Sports Group's Liverpool ($4.14 billion). On Wednesday, the team announced a record revenue of $767 million (£570 million) for the year ending June 30, 2021. In comparison, Manchester United's revenue for that same time was $603 million (£494 million), reported in September. Those numbers are nonetheless sparking interest in the potential record-shattering sale of United by the U.S.-based Glazer family, which has been exploring its options since late last year.

The Manchester Derby isn't the only derby that will keep soccer fans glued to their screens this weekend. On Sunday in North London, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, will play for the 172nd time against each other in the "North London Derby."

The rivalry began when Arsenal, located initially in southern London, moved to Highbury in North London in 1913. The move provoked Tottenham fans, who believed it was their territory. Current EPL leader Arsenal leads this rivalry with 69 wins to Spurs' 55.

Arsenal is also among the EPL clubs that are owned by American investors. Kroenke Sports and Entertainment Group's Stan Kroenke bought a stake in Arsenal in 2007 and became the club's majority shareholder in 2011. The team renovated its stadium and has played home games in 60,000-seat Emirates Stadium since 2006.

According to Sportico's valuations, Arsenal is the fifth highest-valued team in the league at $3 billion. Tottenham is right behind Arsenal, valued at $2.85 billion. The team is owned by ENIC Group, a British investment company led by Joseph Lewis.

Spurs also splurged on a state-of-the-art stadium. Tottenham Hotspur stadium replaced the White Hart Lane in 2019. While it cost a whopping $1.3 billion, it increased concessions and merchandise sales by 500%, making it one of the most profitable EPL clubs when it comes to matchday revenue.

While Tottenham is not officially for sale, the owners met with Nasser al-Khelaifi, the chairman of Qatar Sports Investments and the owner of Paris Saint-Germain, last week.

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