To become a big and exciting match, the Manchester derby must be the match that decides the title. And that won't happen until Manchester United are performing better.
Manchester City have had a terrible season, but unless the Premier League gives them big penalties, it is likely that this is just a small incident rather than something serious. Man United's decline is much worse.
Liverpool will win the championship, and Arsenal have announced that they are planning to spend big in the summer of 2025 to narrow the gap. Newcastle will eventually unlock their financial capabilities and Chelsea also have enough resources to compete.
Some changes will be needed to help the "Red Devils" move from the bottom half of the rankings to a championship candidate. It could take them four or five years to rebuild before they can truly speak about the title race. The decisive factor is that the Old Trafford team must continuously qualify for the Champions League.
It would be great for Manchester if their derby decided the title year after year, but for now, it seems like it is far away.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as Man United head coach in 2013, the Manchester derby is no longer the biggest tournament in England, at least in terms of competition. Originally, the "Red Devils" were also much inferior to their opponents in the same city over the years.
From 2008 to 2013, when Man United was the dominant team and Man City was the emerging force, this was the absolute number 1 match in England. This confrontation is competitive and important such as Real Madrid vs Barcelona, Bayern Munich vs Dortmund, or Celtic vs Rangers.
Name it a big game, and Man United against Man City will have the same meaning. That is why Ferguson calls Man City "the noisy neighbors". The Citizens have not been able to compete with Man United for decades until Sheikh Mansour's bottomless budget changed everything.
Therefore, while Man City have problems to solve, Man United have the responsibility to restore the appeal of this match. Until they start challenging for the Premier League title again, Man United will be behind Liverpool and Arsenal in terms of the potential to be a threat to Man City.
Manchester will continue to be a candidate for all big titles unless they are severely punished by the Premier League. And Man United, they are still in the process of rebuilding and no one can be sure about the future. The key is the "Red Devils" that need to improve the transfer stage, while coach Ruben Amorim must also know how to revive the team on the pitch.
