The Red Devils will head to the Etihad Stadium confident of piling more misery on the champions, who are still very much in crisis
Manchester City are used to heading into the season's first derby as heavy favourites. Pep Guardiola's side have won five of their last six Premier League games against Manchester United, with three of those coming at Etihad Stadium, which has become a scene of regular humiliation for their local rivals.
A Kevin De Bruyne masterclass inspired City to a 4-1 rout of United in March 2022, and seven months later Erling Haaland netted a stunning hat-trick in his first derby to cap a 6-1 demolition job. Last season, the Red Devils took an early lead at the Etihad through a long-range Marcus Rashford strike, but City bounced back to win 3-1, posting 27 shots to the visitors' three while enjoying 72 percent of the possession.
There is no disputing the fact Manchester is blue these days, with Guardiola having turned City into a relentless winning machine as United have shirked from one disaster to the next in the wretched post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. A permanent power shift has taken place and the gulf between the two clubs has been growing year on year.
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But as United prepare to make the short trip across Manchester to face the champions again on Sunday, there is a genuine sense of optimism instead of dread. That's because City are experiencing a shocking decline of their own right now, and Guardiola is set for another daunting battle with the man who effectively started it: Ruben Amorim.