The first Manchester derby of the season arrives this Sunday as Manchester City host their local neighbours Manchester United in the Premier League.
A staple of the English football calendar, it’s a fixture which sees form fly out of the window—not that either club enter the clash brimming with confidence. Even during the gloom of the past decade for United, the Manchester derby has remained fiercely competitive for the most part.
City will undoubtedly be the favourites for this iteration of the historic rivalry but their recent results leave much to be desired. Back-to-back defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion have left Pep Guardiola scratching his head, desperately hoping his side turn the corner sooner rather than later.
Could United take advantage of uncertainty at the Etihad Stadium? Well, it’s certainly possible, especially given they conquered City on the road in Ruben Amorim’s first derby last season. But the Red Devils have been beaten by Arsenal and Grimsby Town already this season and only narrowly scraped past Burnley before the September international break.
Expectations must be tempered for both sides heading into Sunday’s fierce battle in Manchester.
Here is’s guide to the clash at the Etihad.
