Manchester City and Manchester United will be desperate for three points when they clash in the Manchester Derby at the Etihad on Sunday.
Gameweek 16 of the 2024/25 Premier League season will continue on Sunday with four games. The action will start with Brighton & Hove Albion vs Crystal Palace at the Amex Stadium before continuing with the marquee game of the latest round of fixtures — Manchester City vs Manchester United at the Etihad.
Manchester City began the season well, and they were in the Premier League top two in the first two months after going unbeaten in their opening nine outings. However, things have gone haywire since then, with the reigning champions winning only one of their subsequent six games.
The rut has extended to other competitions, with City bowing out of the EFL Cup while sitting in the 22nd spot in the UEFA Champions League standings after managing only two victories in six games thus far. Manchester United are also enduring a dreadful 2024/25 season, with Erik ten Hag’s tumultuous time at Old Trafford ending nearly two months ago.
Ruud van Nistelrooy brought some stability to the ranks after going unbeaten in his four games while in interim charge. Ruben Amorim took over nearly a month ago and has endured a topsy-turvy ride in the last few weeks. The Red Devils have won only half of their outings under Amorim thus far, with their two most recent Premier League matches ending in defeat.
Manchester City won both Premier League meetings last season before going down 2-1 to Manchester United in the FA Cup final. The two teams have also faced each other this term, with City winning the FA Community Shield tie. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola has a new roster issue hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Manchester City manager will be bereft of the services of six first-team players vs Manchester United on Sunday.
Rico Lewis is the latest absentee, with the young full-back serving a suspension after seeing red last weekend against Crystal Palace. The English international has joined Nathan Ake (hamstring), John Stones (foot), Manuel Akanji (pelvic issue), Rodri (knee), and Oscar Bobb (leg) on the sidelines.
Ederson Moraes will take his spot between the sticks, with Manchester City lining up in a 3-2-4-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester United on Sunday. The system will feature a lopsided setup, with Mateo Kovacic often dropping deep to support the three centre-backs — Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, and Josko Gvardiol.
Ilkay Gundogan will pair up with Mateo Kovacic in the double pivot, with the duo looking to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Kevin De Bruyne will pull the strings in the final third, with Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, and Matheus Nunes playing around him. Finally, Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City against Manchester United on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (3-2-4-1): Ederson; Walker, Dias, Gvardiol; Gundogan, Kovacic; Silva, Foden, De Bruyne, Nunes; Haaland
Manchester United
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester City dugout, Ruben Amorim does not have any new concerns to worry about ahead of the trip to the Etihad. The Manchester United manager will be without only one first-team player on Sunday.
Luke Shaw is the only absentee, with the English international recovering from his never-ending fitness issues. Meanwhile, Jonny Evans has resumed training and should be in the matchday squad on Sunday.
Andre Onana is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 3-4-3 formation in front of him vs Manchester City on Sunday. The central defensive unit should feature Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, and Lisandro Martinez. Amad Diallo and Diogo Dalot will likely start as the two wing-backs.
Diallo will take creative charge for Manchester United alongside Bruno Fernandes, while Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo will aim to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Finally, with Marcus Rashford struggling earlier this week against Viktoria Plzen, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund will complete the numbers in the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Onana; Mazraoui, de Ligt, Martinez; Diallo, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dalot; Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund
Key Stats
- Manchester United have lost five of their last six Premier League games vs Manchester City, including each of the three most recent visits to the Etihad. The Red Devils have not lost four consecutive league games away to City since 1955.
- Manchester City have only won once in 10 matches in all competitions, losing seven times — as many defeats as in their previous 105 fixtures. Pep Guardiola’s men have conceded at least twice in seven of their last 11 league games, as many times as in their previous 62 outings.
- Manchester United are in danger of losing three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since a run of four defeats between May and August 2022. Their tally of 19 points from 15 league fixtures is their lowest at this stage since 1986, two league matches into Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure.
- Manchester City have managed only four points from their last six Premier League games, a joint low with Southampton before the start of Gameweek 16.
- Manchester United have conceded 39% of their Premier League goals this season from corners (seven of 18), the highest proportion in the competition.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
While Rasmus Hojlund was a viable candidate for this section after his exploits in the UEFA Europa League earlier this week, we have picked Erling Haaland, who has an impeccable record in the Manchester Derby, as our Player to Watch.
The Norwegian international has scored six goals and assisted three more in four Premier League appearances against Manchester United. Only Sergio Aguero, Wayne Rooney, and Eric Cantona have scored more in the Manchester Derby. How Haaland fares on Sunday will determine if Manchester City can return to winning ways and start resurrecting a spiralling campaign.
Prediction
Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United
Neither team has a solid defensive unit, with clean sheets coming at a premium for both sides. In addition, the hosts barely have a defender fit for the clash as Pep Guardiola looks to exact revenge on Ruben Amorim for one of the defeats his men have suffered during their ongoing dreadful run, the 4-1 pummelling against Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League.
Erling Haaland should continue his fine run against Manchester United by scoring in another Derby. However, City’s struggles to create chances and the wobbly backline should work in Manchester United’s favour.
Rasmus Hojlund should continue from where he left off earlier this week, while Bruno Fernandes will produce another game-changing performance against Manchester City. The Hard Tackle predicts an end-to-end battle between two faltering giants, ending in a 3-2 win for Amorim and his charges.
