Pep Guardiola and Ruben Amorim will go head-to-head again in the Manchester derby on Sunday afternoon at the Etihad Stadium.
The Manchester teams have not had it cool in the current season and both managers will want to send a warning message to other managers in the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola’s first Manchester derby pitted him against a Portuguese manager and featured a debutant goalkeeper.
Guardiola’s rivalry with Jose Mourinho on the other side of Manchester went on till the Portuguese left United.
But there is a fundamental difference. Guardiola against Mourinho seemed to herald that Manchester was becoming the world’s footballing capital.
Nine years on, there are certain similarities, even if some of them will be superficial.
Sunday’s Manchester derby will pit him against Ruben Amorim whose Manchester United recently suffered a shocking Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby, but with a conviction that his revamped side have improved since then.
Guardiola could throw his new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, in to start for Manchester City, but will not be Manchester United’s Senne Lammens, with Amorim already deciding the error-prone Altay Bayindir will play instead.
Sunday’s derby could kick off with both sides in the lower half of the Premier League.
United current 11th with four points from three matches, while City is on three points from three matches at 16th on the Premier League table.
“The table in the moment doesn’t matter,” said Amorim, though, for the first time in 2020, United will start a derby above City.
In turn, that reflects the fact that, for the first time since 2004-05, City have lost two of their opening three league games.
United, meanwhile, are coming off their lowest league finish for half a century.
City will be without the injured Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki, while John Stones is a doubt.
United on the other hand have lost Diogo Dalot, Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha.
United have spent around £250m in 2025, bringing in seven players, while City have spent closer to £350m, recruiting a dozen.
Both Mancheater teams are remodelling their squads in response to last season’s poor performance.
Amorim’s best Premier League result came at the Etihad Stadium in a 2-1 win in December that turned on an error by Matheus Nunes.
However, Amorim will approach his second trip to the Etihad with United’s fortunes decidedly mixed with one win and a draw in the ongoing season. “I think we are a better team,” he said.
Football is played on the pitch with bookmakers banking on statistics to predict a limely outcome.
As it stand, United have had the most shots in the Premier League this season.
And Amorim believes: “Any aspect, if you see the data, we are a different team. We are ready to play the game. But we have to show onside.”
