Of the many great rivalries in Football, few have had more iconic moments and heated matchups as the derby between Manchester’s top 2 clubs. Manchester United and Manchester City have played many great games, which have included some of the best teams to ever grace the pitch. From Pep’s Centurions, to the 1999 treble winners, both Manchester Clubs have a storied history. Flash forward to the present day, and Sunday’s derby has a different vibe to it.
Starting with the visitors, it has been a rough couple of seasons for the Red Devils. Last campaign was rough to say the least, with the team setting multiple records. They finished 15th with 42 points, their lowest finish in almost 50 years. On top of that, United lost nine matches at home, tied for the most in their history.
The Red Devils have strengthened in the summer, with new signings such as Benjamin Šeško, Bryan Mbeumo, and Mateus Cunha. United are certainly not the historic side that many fans are used to and can begin the road up this weekend with a result against their city rival.
For the home side, the last couple of years have been very different. City has won six of the last eight top flight titles, and has been dominant throughout. This season, however, has been a bit of a different story. The Citizens currently sit 13th in the table, and have dropped their last two games to Tottenham and Brighton.
The turmoil isn’t just on the pitch, but also in the dugout and in the front office as well. There have been murmurs that manager Pep Guardiola could be on his way out after more than nine years at the helm. As well, the club are still awaiting a verdict in the 115 charges against them for various financial and profitability rules.
While tomorrow's game might feature two teams who are not at their strongest, it still doesn’t take away from the importance of the match. With both squads reeling this season, it arguably means the three points could be more important. A win for either side could propel them forward to build on what has been a disappointing last 12 months for both teams.