Five things to look out for in the 195th Manchester derby, including chance for Ruben Amorim to make history

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The 195^th Manchester derby takes place at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

It includes two struggling rivals desperate for a win after tough starts to the 2024/25 season.

Ruben Amorim and Pep Guardiola are not strangers to one another. The respected pair will try to cancel each other out in the biggest game the Premier League has to offer this weekend when Manchester City host Manchester United.

Both teams will be looking to capitalise on their neighbour’s misfortunes.

City go into the game trailing league leaders Liverpool by eight points, while United sit in the bottom half of the table following a 3-2 defeat against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford.

Without further ado, we are going to take a look at five things you should look out for in the 195^th Manchester derby.

Form goes out the window

United travel to the Etihad with their lowest points total after 15 matches in Premier League history.

As for City, they’ve recorded their lowest at this stage since 2010-11 to form a weak defence of the league title.

That explains why United are 13^th and City are fourth in the standings.

However, in a derby, form can go out the window.

United are looking to end a dry run at the Etihad, where they have not been able to win since 2021.

As for City, Guardiola’s side have won just one match in their last 10 outings across all competitions. The Blues are still a force to be reckoned with though.

Amorim can make history in his first Manchester derby

Alan Pardew is currently the only manager to have ever beaten the reigning Premier League champions with two different teams in a single campaign.

That was in the 2014/15 season when Pardew recorded wins against City with both Newcastle United and Crystal Palace.

Amorim has a chance to achieve the same feat on Sunday when his United side takes on City.

Prior to arriving at Old Trafford, Amorim’s Sporting CP side beat Man City 4-1 in the Champions League.

The Portuguese coach will be hoping for a similar result at the Etihad.

On another note, defeat would see Amorim enter the history books for the wrong reasons.

The last United manager to lose three consecutive league games was Louis van Gaal in 2015.

City need win to match Arsenal’s record

Manchester United have lost 20 times to Man City in the Premier League. The only club with more wins (21) against United is Arsenal.

City have a chance to equal that record if they can record another win versus the Reds.

Looking at the head-to-head stats, United have lost five of their past six league matches against City – conceding 18 goals in those defeats.

It doesn’t bode well for Sunday but we’re keeping the faith.

Goals galore

With both teams struggling defensively, goals are expected in the upcoming Manchester derby.

There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 5 of City’s last 6 games in the league, with Guardiola’s side conceding at least 2 goals on those occasions.

Meanwhile, United have scored 12 goals in their last six fixtures since Amorim took charge.

Rasmus Hojlund bagged a brace against Viktoria Plzen on Thursday night and will be looking to add to his season tally.

80th derby win on the cards for Manchester United

The Reds are looking for their 80^th derby win against City.

It’s a big ask for Amorim to get the better of Guardiola, however, he knows a thing or two about that from his time in Lisbon.

We’re expecting a tense encounter as both teams deal with adversity.

A win for United would help the team regain momentum in a tumultuous campaign.