Overview
One of the few bright spots in Ruben Amorim's troubled time at Manchester United was Amad Diallo's decisive goal in the Manchester derby. This goal helped the "Red Devils" defeat Man City with a score of 2-1 right at the Etihad in December 2024.
That victory came just one month after Amorim took over Old Trafford. However, the person expected to open a new era for Man United could not stay long. The club sacked Amorim on January 5, closing a short and volatile term.
Since then, Man United has played 2 matches under the leadership of interim coach Darren Fletcher. They drew Burnley in the Premier League and lost to Brighton in the third round of the FA Cup. This is the first time since the 1981-1982 season that the "Red Devils" have been eliminated from both domestic cups right from the first round.
After that, Michael Carrick was appointed to lead the team for the second time in a temporary role, after a short period in 2021 (2 wins, 1 draw). Carrick will hold the helm until the end of the season, and although Man United no longer has a chance to win titles, they are still fiercely competing for a European Cup spot.
Carrick's start was not easy when he had to face Man City - the team currently ranked second in the rankings - in a stressful derby. However, Carrick has reason to be confident. When he was a player, he only won many matches in the Premier League against Sunderland more than against Man City (13 wins, 3 draws, 8 losses).
Man City entered this match after a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals, continuing the 10-1 crush on Exeter in the FA Cup. However, Pep Guardiola's team has drawn all 3 recent matches in the Premier League, thereby being extended the gap by the leading team Arsenal to 6 points. The last time City had a longer draw was in 2009.
Man United is also experiencing a 3-match draw streak in the league - their longest since the 5-match draw streak in 1992. This will be the first time since February 2001 that the two Premier League teams have entered a match with a 3-match draw streak or more.
This season, Man United appears particularly fragile in preserving the lead. Only Bournemouth, West Ham and Chelsea have dropped more points than the "Red Devils" from the lead.
On the other side, Erling Haaland is going through a rare period of decline, when he has only scored one goal in the last 6 matches in all competitions. However, Man United is often the favorite prey of the Norwegian striker.
Haaland has directly participated in 11 goals against the "Red Devils" in the Premier League (8 goals, 3 assists), including a double and one assist at Old Trafford in October 2023.
Phil Foden is also a particularly dangerous name for Man United, when he only scored more goals against Brighton than against the "Red Devils" in the Premier League.
In addition, Man City also owns Rayan Cherki, who has 13 direct goals since the beginning of November last year. This achievement is only behind Deniz Undav, Kylian Mbappe and Haaland in the top 5 European leagues.
In the opposite direction, Man United received a big boost when Amad and Bryan Mbeumo returned after the African Cup. Bruno Fernandes has also recovered from injury and assisted in the match against Brighton. Since the beginning of November, only Haaland and Igor Thiago have participated in more goals than Fernandes in the Premier League.
Head-to-head record
Man United has failed to score in 4/5 of their last home games against Man City in the Premier League, including the last 2 matches.
The "Red Devils" have never experienced a 3-game home streak or more without a goal against Man City in the league since the 4-game period, taking place from December 1911 to September 1914.
Notably, the last time Man United did not score in both Manchester derbys in the same season was the 1973-1974 season. This was a campaign that ended with their relegation.
Score prediction: Man United 2-2 Man City
The match between Man United and Man City takes place at 7:30 PM on January 17 (Vietnam time).
