In the midst of a horror run, Manchester City will hope the rivalry and rancour of derby day can provide a lift as Manchester United visit the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s side have won just once in their last 10 games with both their Premier League title challenge and hopes of qualification for the Champions League knockout rounds taking a significant blow. To make matters worse, Guardiola is facing a defensive crisis this afternoon with Rico Lewis suspended and several other regular starters out, leaving the Catalan coach to consider radical solutions to spark a turnaround in form.
For Ruben Amorim, this will be a first taste of a famous fixture as the Portuguese manager continues to search for his best system and side. Amorim was pleased with the fight his team showed in the Europa League win on Thursday night but a mixed record since his arrival reflects the teething problems evident throughout his tenure so far. Can he become only the sixth manager to win their first Manchester derby in the Premier League era?
Follow all of the latest from the Manchester derby in our live blog below:
Team news
Pep Guardiola has made two changes to the side that lost 2-0 to Juventus last time out.
Rico Lewis and Jack Grealish drop out, with Matheus Nunes and Phil Foden replacing them.
On paper, it seems that maybe Nunes will fill in at left-back if they are in a back four, with Doku and Bernardo on the wings and one of Foden and De Bruyne holding alongside Gundogan, perhaps.
Line-ups
City XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Gvardiol, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Nunes, Foden, Doku, Haaland.
Subs: Ortega Moreno, Stones, Kovacic, Grealish, Savinho, Simpson-Pusey, Mubama, O’Reilly, McAtee
Utd XI: Onana, Mazraoui, de Ligt, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot, Mount, Fernandes, Ugarte, Amad, Hojlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Malacia, Yoro, Lindelof, Casemiro, Eriksen, Mainoo, Antony, Zirkzee.
Team news on the way…
Here we go then. Will it be youngster Jahmai Simpson-Pusey to fill the defensive void? Or will Matheus Nunes be moved into the back four? The team news is imminent…
Pep Guardiola considers radical option to solve Manchester City’s defensive crisis
Team news at the Etihad Stadium is about 15 minutes away, with Manchester City facing real selection issues at the back. With just three senior defenders available, Pep Guardiola has been forced to consider some radical options:
Pep Guardiola and the two meetings with Ruben Amorim that shape Manchester derby
Pep Guardiola is on to the fifth Manchester United manager of his reign at Manchester City. Under normal circumstances, that would illustrate the difficulty of coaching in the same city and competing with him. After all City had 14 managers and four caretakers during Sir Alex Ferguson’s epic reign at Old Trafford. Now Ruben Amorim makes it five United managers, plus two caretakers, Michael Carrick and Ruud van Nistelrooy, since Guardiola arrived in 2016. As his new contract lasts until 2027, there is time for another.
And yet Amorim’s Manchester derby debut offers him the chance to complete a rare feat. On the worst run of his managerial career, Guardiola has already lost twice within a few weeks to Ange Postecoglou. Amorim has the opportunity to emulate him, but to do a double with different clubs. His penultimate game with Sporting CP was a 4-1 triumph that took the Portuguese club second in the Champions League.
Man City and Man Utd are in crisis – but only one club has an obvious solution to escape nightmare start
It all leaves things a little gloomy ahead of today’s derby. Which camp would you rather be in? Pete Hall examines.
Inside Dan Ashworth’s farcical Man Utd exit and the power struggle in the Old Trafford soap opera
And there is plenty at play behind the scenes at a club not necessarily settling in under their new ownership structure. Miguel Delaney explores the backstage politics that forced Jim Ratcliffe to make a ruthless call.
Dan Ashworth’s departure puts an end to Manchester United’s latest farce
Having pursued Ashworth so relentlessly, and having forked out a significant sum to recruit him from Newcastle, the sporting director’s departure was more than a little peculiar. Richard Jolly looks at a strange situation:
Ruben Amorim makes frank admission over Dan Ashworth’s Manchester United exit
While events at Manchester City may be more accurately described as a crisis, it’s been another turbulent week at Manchester United. Sporting director Dan Ashworth left the club on Sunday just five months after taking up his role.
Rasmus Hojlund says Manchester United need more time to adapt: ‘We train during the matches’
These are still embryonic days for Manchester United under Ruben Amorim, with a new system taking some adjusting to. Rasmus Hojlund has issued a plea for patience as the club work through some teething problems.