City Xtra
·15 December 2024
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Yahoo sportsCity Xtra
·15 December 2024
Manchester City look to return to winning ways on derby day, as they face Manchester United in the Premier League in a super Sunday clash.
In what has been a dismal seven weeks for the club, Manchester City find themselves with just one win in their last ten games, with bitter rivals Manchester United looking to extend their disappointing recent run.
Despite the several key injuries for the blues, Pep Guardiola’s side will be mortified with their recent run across competitions, with the reigning champions sitting in 5th place ahead of Sunday’s fixture.
Guardiola has played down any ideas of a title race this season, with his side looking to form any sort of winning run whatsoever, but Saturday’s results may have provided a small glimmer of hope for the blues.
With Arsenal and Liverpool both dropping points on Saturday, City will look to close the gap at the top and creep back up the table, with the blues looking to go level on points with Mikel Arteta’s side if they are to emerge with all three points.
However, with one win in the last 10 games in all competitions, City will be looking to take it one game at a time, as they look to end this recent bout of abhorrent form with a victory over United.
With that in mind, here is everything you need to know ahead of Sunday’s hugely significant Manchester derby!
Manchester City take on rivals Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 15th December, with kick-off scheduled for 16:30 GMT.
The hosts will be without several key players, of course including long-term absentees Rodri and Oscar Bobb, while Nathan Ake has also been ruled out for this one.
Manuel Akanji is also out with a pelvic injury, while Rico Lewis is out through suspension after his red card against Crystal Palace.
John Stones compiles the injury woes at the back, as he will be out with an ongoing foot injury.
Luke Shaw is the only absentee for the visitors, with Ruben Amorim having a fully fit squad at his disposal otherwise.
Manchester City are the most recent winners of this matchup, with a penalty shootout victory over United in August the latest encounter in the Manchester derby.
The blues remain undefeated at home against United in over three years, with March 2021 the last victory for United at the Etihad Stadium, behind closed doors.
Pep Guardiola and Ruben Amorim have faced each other just once in their managerial career, with Amorim’s FC Sporting beating City in November 4-1 in the UEFA Champions League.
The Etihad Stadium typically provides goals in this fixture, with 13 goals in the last two encounters between the two clubs on this ground.
Despite City’s recent success in this fixture at home, the blues have only kept one clean sheet at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester derbies in Pep Guardiola’s nine-year tenure at the club, stretching back to April 2017 in a 0-0 draw.
Ruben Amorim has claimed three wins, two losses and a draw in his first six games in charge of Manchester United.
For viewers in the United Kingdom, Sunday’s feisty clash will be available to watch live on Sky Sports 1, with kick-off scheduled for 16:30 GMT.
For viewers in the United States, Sunday’s match will be available to watch live on Peacock and NBC, with kick-off scheduled for 11:30 EST.