How many consecutive Premier League wins is Ruben Amorim looking for?
Manchester City and Manchester United go into their derby clash at the Etihad Stadium in need of a result, but for different reasons.
City opened their campaign with a 4-0 rout of Wolves but have since dropped off, losing to Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion, leaving them chasing victory to stay close to the top.
United, meanwhile, earned their first win of the campaign against Burnley last time out thanks to a 97th-minute Bruno Fernandes penalty, though Ruben Amorim is still looking for his first consecutive Premier League wins since taking over in November 2024.
After a busy transfer window, which included the deadline day signing of Gianluigi Donnarumma, City were expected to put last season behind them and be in the title fight this time around, but they are already six points adrift of leaders Liverpool in the early standings.
It is the first time since 2004-05 that City have lost two of their first three top-flight matches (W1) in a season; only one team have ever had the same record at this stage and recovered to win the title - United in 1992-93.
The three points collected by City is Pep Guardiola's lowest total after his first three league games of a season. However, not since 1995-96, when they were eventually relegated, have City lost three of their first four matches.
Guardiola has lost 49 of his 345 Premier League matches (W247 D49), with 22% of those coming since the start of November 2024 (11).
A defeat against United would see him take the second largest number of games to lose 50, behind Sir Alex Ferguson, whose 50th defeat wasn't until his 367th match.
But, with the odds stacked against them, United's topsy-turvy form will be put to the test if they want to do that.
Amorim did beat City twice last season, with Sporting CP and United, respectively, but his Premier League record is generally poor, winning just eight of his 30 matches in the competition (D7 L15).
Half of his wins have come against promoted sides, including the Burnley win before the international break, with the Portuguese coach holding just a 16% win rate against non-promoted sides (4/25).
One of Amorim's key focuses will be on improving United's attacking output, though losing Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount to injury hasn't helped his cause.
Across their first three matches of the season, United had 58 shots in the top flight, 14 more than any other side. They also have the biggest expected goals (xG) total (6.78), despite scoring only four times, with two of those coming via own goals.
Fernandes will likely be important if United are to secure back-to-back Premier League wins. He has created the most chances in the league both overall (12) and from open play (8), while he has also scored in each of their last three wins against City in the top flight.
Man City vs Man United have a fascinating recent history, with the Red Devils holding psychological advantages despite City's overall Premier League dominance.
Man City vs Man United head-to-head shows that City have won five of their last eight Premier League matches against United (D1 L2), though they failed to win either game against them (D1 L1) last season for the first time since 2020-21.
United produced a remarkable late turnaround to win this fixture 2-1 in 2024-25, with Amad Diallo making the difference as he won a penalty that was dispatched by Fernandes, before scoring a 90th-minute winner himself soon after.
Since 2015-16, the home team have ended on the winning side in just six out of 20 Premier League meetings in the Manchester derby (D4 L10).
United have inflicted 25% of Guardiola's total home Premier League defeats as City manager, winning four times at the Etihad Stadium against the Spaniard (4/16). They are looking for consecutive wins there for the first time since March 2021.
Pep Guardiola has plenty of selection dilemmas on his hands as he plots victory for Manchester City over Manchester United.
Man City vs Man United team news brings mixed injury updates for City. It has been confirmed Omar Marmoush will play no part against Man United after sustaining a knee injury whilst on international duty with Egypt.
There is a decision to make in goal as Deadline Day signing Gianluigi Donnarumma is hopeful of dislodging James Trafford, but Guardiola has played his cards close to his chest with regards to the selection.
"James Trafford is a keeper for Man City. The keepers I can only play one," Guardiola told reporters. "Now starts the real season with many games and everybody will be involved."
Fresh from scoring six goals across two games for Norway, Erling Haaland is a guaranteed starter as he bids to maintain his early lead in the Golden Boot race.
Goalkeeper: Trafford
Defense: Lewis, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol
Midfield: Rodri, Reijnders
Attack: Silva, Bobb, Doku, Haaland
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim will be forced into changes as he mulls over his starting XI for the derby against Manchester City..
The Red Devils went into the international break on a high after securing their first win of the season by beating Burnley last time out thanks to a 97th-minute penalty from captain Bruno Fernandes.
However, United's hopes of repeating the 2-1 victory from the corresponding fixture last season have been hit with the trio all being unavailable for selection, meaning Amorim has to make three enforced changes.
Neither of these teams approach the derby in any sort of form, sitting 13th and ninth respectively in the early Premier League table.
The uncomfortable truth for City is that their squad is simply not at the same sky-high level that we'd become accustomed to during their four consecutive title-winning seasons, with Marmoush's unfortunate injury now only increasing their reliance on Haaland's heroics even further.
However, they should still have too much for consistently underwhelming United, whose win over Burnley was massively unconvincing and likely to prove yet another false dawn in terms of any real progress made under Amorim, who is evidently feeling the pressure.
Man City vs Man United: Manchester City 3-1 Manchester United
Man City vs Man United will take place at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, September 14, 2025, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00 IST.
Indian football fans can watch this epic Man City vs Man United Preview clash live on Star Sports Network with comprehensive pre-match build-up, live commentary, and post-match analysis.
The evening kick-off time of 21:00 IST provides an ideal viewing opportunity for Indian audiences, avoiding the typical late-night slots that European matches often occupy.
For those who miss the live broadcast, full match replays and comprehensive highlights will be available on JioHotstar shortly after the final whistle.