Manchester Derby this Sunday is a contest to determine who's stronger between two struggling English Premier League teams.
Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola faces off Ruben Amorim in the Manchester United manager’s first taste of the Premier League’s most explosive rivalry.
For the first time in years, City go into the Manchester derby mired in even more turmoil than United after a dismal run of one win in 10 games in all competitions.
Wednesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat at Juventus was City’s seventh loss in that period, an astonishing collapse for a club that has won six of the last seven Premier League titles, including their current streak of four in a row.
United are hardly in peak form themselves, having won just three of Amorim’s six games in charge since he replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag.
This fixture will be the 55th Manchester Derby in the Premier League. The two clubs have had long history.
Having Played 54 Derby's, United has the upperhand on most wins, having won 25 of the clashes while City has managed to win 20 fixtures, there have been 9 draws.
Manchester United has scored three goals less of city, 77, while Manchester City has managed to hit United's net 80 times.
Manchester United lost 3-1 in their last trip to Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola's side has won more derbies in the last decade. However, City dipped in form recently.
This will be a game between two sides who are not in their best form. In their last five matches in the Premier League, City has won just once, drawn twice and lost twice. The Red devils on the other hand have won thrice and lost twice.
Meanwhile, Chelsea received an early Christmas gift as both Arsenal and Liverpool dropped points at home. While Chelsea hasn’t played yet, their rivals’ failures mean a win against Brentford on Sunday could see them close the gap on the Premier League leaders.
However, Chelsea’s record against Brentford is concerning, with no wins since 2021.
Arsenal's hopes of closing the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool were dashed after a frustrating 0-0 draw against Everton at the Emirates Stadium. Despite dominating possession, Arsenal struggled to break down a resolute Everton defense.
The Gunners' best opportunity came in the first half when captain Martin Odegaard found himself in a promising position, only to be denied by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Everton’s well-organized backline thwarted Arsenal’s attempts to capitalize on set pieces and corner kicks, leaving the home side without a breakthrough.
The draw keeps Arsenal in third place with 30 points, six points adrift of league leaders Liverpool. Manager Mikel Arteta faces increasing pressure to refine his team’s attacking edge as the title race intensifies.
Elsewhere, Newcastle United delivered a commanding 4-0 victory over Leicester City at St. James' Park, marking Rudd van Nistelrooy's first defeat as manager. Goals from Jacob Murphy, Alexander Isak, and Bruno Guimarães sealed the win for the Magpies. Nigerian international Wilfred Ndidi missed the game due to a hamstring injury.
In another result, Ipswich Town continued their impressive form with a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on the road.