Man Utd play Manchester City in the Premier League today and here are five things to look out for in the game.
Steven is a senior writer and covers Manchester United for the Manchester Evening News. You can follow Steven on Twitter at @StevenRailston.
Amorim and Guardiola will face off again this afternoon.(Image: Getty Images)
Manchester United take on Manchester City in the Manchester derby this afternoon.
United have made a disappointing start to the season and needed a late goal to secure a win against Burnley before the international break, but City have also won just one league game.
Ruben Amorim oversaw a shock 2-1 comeback victory at the Etihad last season thanks to heroics from Amad in the game’s final minutes. It was 0-0 when the two sides clashed again at Old Trafford in April.
United will be without Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount and Diogo Dalot due to injury, but City have their own injury concerns, with Omar Marmoush among those to be ruled out through injury.
Here are five things to look out for in the Manchester derby:
Two league wins on the bounce?
Amorim was appointed from Sporting Lisbon in November, but he has yet to win successive games in the Premier League. That is no surprise given how dismal last season was, but it’s an unwanted record.
United were excellent in the first half against Burnley before the international break and could have been 3-0 up by half-time. The Reds were wasteful in front of goal and allowed Burnley back into the game.
Bruno Fernandes’ penalty in the 97th minute sealed an important victory and United now have the opportunity to do something they have never done before under Amorim: win two league games on the bounce.
Fernandes pictured after his Burnley penalty.(Image: Jan Kruger, Getty Images)
Sesko to make his full league debut?
There was a glimmer in Amorim’s eye when he discussed Benjamin Sesko in the embargoed section of his press conference. Amorim was asked for his thoughts on Sesko and said: “I think what’s more important than looking at exactly what he did during the games, is what he can bring to our team.
“If you see against Burnley, he had some movements – especially inside the box – that we don’t have with Josh (Zirkzee), or with (Matheus) Cunha, and even with Rasmus (Hojlund) in the past. We have a guy (in Sesko) who really likes to go inside the box to have a header.
“He can run – we need to use him more as a runner – and he’s going to improve. So we need to get used to that. It feels like the pace is different and he is going to get used to that. But maybe against City, it is a good moment for him to start the game.”
Amorim smiled as he finished his answer, and Sesko could be set to make his full league debut.
United to hammer title hopes?
It would be foolish to suggest City won’t win the Premier League if they lose on Sunday, but the last time City lost three of their first four top-flight games was in 1995/96 under Alan Ball.
That campaign ended in relegation. That won’t happen this season, but defeat in the derby could see them fall nine points behind Liverpool.
That is added motivation for United this weekend. Dishing out an early blow to City’s hopes of winning the league would make a win even sweeter, and City’s supporters have been notably edgy in the build-up to the game.
Pep Guardiola and Ruben Amorim.
Local representation
There could be no Mancunians starting in the Manchester derby. There were no local United players in the team when the two sides met at Old Trafford in April, which was the first time in a decade that was the case.
Altay Bayindir will start in goal with Tom Heaton potentially not even in the squad. Kobbie Mainoo has failed to cement his place in the starting XI under Amorim but there’s hope he could start tomorrow.
The Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability (PSR) rules incentivise the sale of homegrown talents and local representation in Manchester derbies could be reduced even further in the coming years.
Amorim’s record vs Guardiola
Amorim has faced Guardiola five times in his managerial career. United’s head coach has won two games, drawn twice and suffered one defeat, so he has a strong record against the Catalan coach.
Sporting won 4-1 against City in the Champions League just before Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford. United won 2-1 against City at the Etihad in December and drew 0-0 in the reverse fixture.