Manchester rivals, for the first time in as long as difficult to recall, head into the derby at a time neither has any reason to get hyped before the resumption of hostilities in a Premier League fixture.
Caught up in their own traps, as one continues to deepen on a path thought to be just a temporal mishap, the other is left to rue what could have been had they stick with an interim manager, who apparently has exhausted their subscription to a new manager bounce in the wake of Erik Ten Hagʼs departure.
Well, the Manchester rivals did clash in English football’s curtain raiser back in August, and whilst it was a clash that brought the Red Devils optimism in spite of defeat, their rival also enjoyed a first taste of win in the Community Shield in five years.
At the time, recalling that no winner of the English football curtain raiser has gone on to win the Premier League title seems an unrealistic prediction for Pep Guardiolaʼs charge, who have won the title four times in a row, setting a new record in the division.
Nevertheless, 14 games into the season, and an uncharacteristic Manchester City is roaming pitches games after games, after they had appeared and played as they could do no wrong, the win the Community Shield and lose the league title might be more than just a myth after all.
A run of one win and two draws in ten games across all competition has seen them slip from position of prominence. In that period, they bowed out of the Carabao Cup, lost four straight games since 2006, slip from first in the league to eight points behind leaders Liverpool, who has also played one fewer game.
They fell out of an automatic qualification spot in the UEFA Champions League, and became the first side to not win a game after taking a three-goal lead into the final 15 minutes in the competition’s history. After the loss at Juventus in mid-week, they are now positioned 22nd on the standing.
Manchester City lost 4-0 at home to Spurs in Pep Guadiolaʼs biggest home defeat, humbled in Anfield by Arne Slotʼs Liverpool and when they must have thought the end has come to their ill-fated run by beating Forest 3-0, they were pegged back by Palace in the Selhurst Park.
In the aftermath, the defending champions have now dropped 13 Premier League points after eight games away from home this season, as many as they did in the entirety of last season.
For Manchester United, after going on a run of seven without defeat right after Erik Ten Hag’s sacking, it appeared they had just one fault, which has been fixed by showing the Dutchman the exit door.
And if the defeat at Arsenal in the previous mid-week can be put behind them quickly, given the fashion of which host scored their goals and how they sometimes stood up to them, the home loss to Nottingham Forest did not help matters. In the Europa League on Thursday, it was a much disappointing display in Czech Republic despite coming from behind to beat Viktoria Plzen thanks to a Rasmus Hojlund brace.
Their Portuguese manager did not lose a home game this season in 17 at Sporting CP and by extension, he had won all but drew one this season before the stalemate at Portman Road against Ipswich Town on his first Premier League assignment late in November.
The thrashing of Everton on his first league home game restored a temporal smile but eight days and two games later, the frustration is back, so much that some still wish Ruud van Nistelrooy is here.
Dos the win over Viktoria Plzen lift spirits around the club ? Maybe. Just maybe.
Manchester Rivals Form
- Manchester City has lost seven in their last 10 games across all competition, winning only one.
- Manchester United has lost each of their last two Premier League games, they’ve never lost three in a row in a single league season since December 2015.
- Manchester City has lost four league games this season, one more than they did in the entirety of last season.
- Manchester United has won two of ten way games this season, losing three – they’ve not won back-to-back league games away from home since February.
- Manchester City has won just one of their last three home games across all competition, losing 4-0 to Spurs in the Etihad in that period.
Manchester Rivals – Derby Head to Head
- Manchester City has won each of their previous three home meetings with United, their longest since a run of five 69 years ago, between August 1952 to September 1955.
- Since the City takeover in 2008, Manchester City has hosted 16 league derbies, both side have seven wins each, with the other two ending in scoreless stalemates.
- Both Manchester rivals have scored in seven of the last eight derbies, with Sunday’s host scoring in each of the last nine.
Suspension and Injury Updates ahead of Manchester derby
Rico Lewis is suspended following his red card at Selhurst Park last weekend. The youngster is joined on the sideline by injured Nathan Ake. John Stones and Manuel Akanji are also injury doubts for the host.
Manchester United will be without Luke Shaw while every other member of the squad is available for Sunday’s derby, although it may also come too soon for Jonny Evans, who has a minor injury.
Players to watch
Erling Haaland for Manchester City
The Norwegian has scored six and assisted three in four league fixtures against United, firing blank once in that period.
However, he has been very prolific when facing the Red Devils in the Etihad, scoring four and assisting three in the two games.
Haaland has struggled for consistency so far this season but a vulnerable United defense could see him produce another of his rare memorable performances come Sunday.
Andre Onana for Manchester United
It is definitely not the Cameroonian’s best moment to head into a Manchester derby after back-to-back howlers, but being the most decisive goalkeeper in the league this season, United could use another episode of his heroics on Sunday.
Manchester City has attempted 22+ shots in each of their last three Premier League home games against United, scoring 3+ goals in each and emerging victorious in all, Onana will be asked a lot of question despite City’s form.
His performance will go a long way to determine the outcome of the meeting, given City’s current predicament, they could easily get frustrated if the goalkeeper does well to keep the visitors in the game.
Onana has kept the most clean sheets in the league this season and has also prevented more goals than any other. Given how much joy City have had in attack when hosting United, any chance of the visitors coming away with anything is so much down to the shotstopper.
Manchester derby Prediction
Both team haven’t been convincing but even in their lowest, City has shown they can always take advantage of another vulnerable side with their win over Nottingham Forest, they are tipped to win this fixture.
Manchester United’s terrible away form as well as their poor run away at City put them in the underdog position, and they are very unlikely to pull an upset.
Manchester City 2-0 Manchester United
