Manchester City welcome the auld enemy, Manchester United, to the Etihad Stadium as Premier League football returns with a bang this weekend.
City go into the match on the back of one win and two defeats after losing their last match at Brighton and Hove Albion, and will be desperate to get their first home win of the season against their bitter rivals. It has been 22 years since City failed to win their two opening home matches of the season and 30 years since we lost two of our four home matches at the start
of a new campaign. Pep Guardiola will be anxious to avoid a similar record on Sunday.
United will be looking to put the memories of last season out of their mind as they travel into Manchester for the first derby of the season. Although the reds won 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium last season, the two teams had very contrasting finishes, with the Bleus taking third place and United finishing in 15th place, their lowest ever finish in the Premier League.
Form
United got their season off to the perfect start with Arsenal arriving at Old Trafford and walking away with the points following a 1-0 victory. A first-half goal by Riccardo Calafiori was enough to secure the points for the Gunners after a mistake at the back gifted the goal on a plate.
United then went to Fulham and managed to grab a point from the Cottagers, throwing way a one-goal lead and allowing Fulham to get an equaliser, leaving the reds stranded near the bottom of the table. At it looked like being a winless run going into the international break when Burnley were minutes away from a 2-2 draw. But desperate times call for a penalty and United duly got one and won the match 3-2.
Their pre-season form didn’t give the impression that they would struggle so quickly. From five matches, United won two, one against West Ham and the over against Bournemouth, while a goalless draw against Leeds, 2-2 with Everton and a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina will have given their supporters hope that this season couldn’t possibly be as bad as the last.
Danger Men and Signings
United still pose a threat despite not being particularly potent in front of goal. Brazilian striker Matheus Cunha signed from Wolves in June and Bryan Mbeumo arrived from Brentford to shore up the Reds attack. Defender Diego Leon joined the Stretford club from Cerro Porteno, which is a Paraguayan Primera Division side, while Enzo Kana-Biyik joined on a free transfer from Le Havre.
Benjamin Sesko, not to be confused with fictional Star Trek Deep Space Nine captain Benjamin Sisko, arrived in August from RB Leipzig, and the Reds turned to Belgian keeper Senne Lammens to solve their goalkeeping problems on transfer deadline day.
Bruno Fernandes remains a danger from the penalty spot if from nowhere else while Harry Maguire is still with the club and may be good for an own goal – he’s surely due one soon.
The Boss
Ruben Amorim is the man responsible for the latest attempt to bring silverware, and a modicum of success back to Old Trafford after so many false starts. The Portuguese manager joined the Stretford Rangers in November 2024 and was hailed as the new (albeit latest) hero. Ten months later, the media are talking about him getting the sack after a dismal season ended and they started the new one in uninspiring form.
Amorim has presided over 47 matches for United, with the Reds winning and losing 17 and drawing 12, giving Amorim a win ratio of just 37%, the lowest he has ever achieved.
Last Time at the Etihad
Nothing major happened last time so we may as well just move on from this bit. City scored one and the visitors scored two to complete the best smash and grab raid since they beat Brentford 2-1 at Old Trafford, two months earlier.
