Both Man City and Man United have their own problems ahead of the Manchester derby in round 4 of the Premier League.
Manager Ruben Amorim insists he still wants to stay at Manchester United, but admits he is unsure about his future after the September international break.
Amorim are still in charge thanks to Bruno Fernandes’ 97th-minute penalty that secured a 3-2 win over Burnley at Old Trafford, but even a hard-fought victory over the league’s worst-rated side could be seen as a potential turning point in a gloomy atmosphere.
Amorim’s tactics were the subject of ridicule after the Carabao Cup penalty shootout defeat to Grimsby Town. United have also made a poor start in the Premier League, losing to Arsenal in the opening weekend before drawing 1-1 with Fulham thanks to a Rodrigo Muniz own goal. Meanwhile, Benjamin Sesko, a €76.5m signing, has yet to start a game.
However, looking at the rankings, the “Red Devils” are not even the worst team in the city of Manchester with 4 points after 3 matches. Meanwhile, Manchester City have lost 2 out of 3 matches – a rare achievement for the former Premier League champion. The Manchester derby in April was one of the worst performances of the season, ending in a 0-0 draw. In the final 20 minutes, Man City failed to muster a single shot and neither side created any clear-cut chances. The upcoming match at the Etihad may not be that bad, but the tight schedule has left both teams on their lowest points tally since Abu Dhabi took over the Citizens in 2008. As for Man United, after 3 games, they have launched 58 shots – 14 more than any other team. At the same time, the “Red Devils” also created the highest number of expected goals in the tournament.
The biggest problem for United at the moment is that they have only scored 4 goals. Remember, they signed Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, players who consistently scored more goals than expected last season.
The defeat to Grimsby Town was inexcusable, but if Man United had taken their chances, that story would have been forgotten.
The Red Devils are still not in the running for the title and their squad building hasn’t helped much either. They have certainly improved from their 15th place finish last season.
Despite inconsistent form, after three games this season, MU have moved up six places in the rankings. For a team that only scored 44 goals last season, the current attack has proven to be significantly stronger.
In contrast, with Man City, the same problems from last season continue.
In the 2024-2025 season, The Citizens conceded an average of 1.2 goals per game – a figure significantly higher than the previous 7 seasons. Every time they lost the ball, there was a risk of conceding a goal. Despite spending heavily in the summer transfer market, Man City’s biggest problem was still clearly exposed.
After three games this season, Man City have conceded an average of 1.3 goals per game. What is more worrying is that their fixtures are not too difficult, with their opponents finishing 8th, 16th and 17th last season respectively.
