BY REUTERS
It would have seemed inconceivable at the start of the Premier League season that by the time the Manchester derby rolled around it would be Pep Guardiola’s City enduring a crisis so serious it has distracted attention from United’s malaise.
That has really taken some doing. After all, United sacked manager Erik ten Hag in October, parted ways with sporting director Dan Ashworth this week after just five months and sit 13th in the table under new manager Ruben Amorim.
United’s 3-2 home defeat by Nottingham Forest last weekend underlined the size of the task Amorim faces at Old Trafford.
Yet it is City’s meltdown which is the main talking point ahead of Sunday’s clash at The Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola’s side have won once in their last 10 matches in all competitions, sit fourth in the Premier League, eight points behind leaders Liverpool, and are in danger of a humiliating exit from the Champions League.
Beset with injuries to key players and drained of confidence, City’s 2-0 defeat by Juventus on Wednesday had some pundits declaring the end of Guardiola’s golden era.
“We just have not seen a Pep Guardiola side in general ever be this bad. He has to find a way of galvanising this team and reinstalling some form and confidence,” former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said. “They are under real pressure now.”
All things are relative though. Since United’s last Premier League title in 2013, City have won it seven times, six under Guardiola including the last four.
City still possess a squad full of serial winners and Guardiola, having signed a two-year contract extension, is hardly likely to walk away or be shown the door any time soon.
The Spaniard is not immune to criticism though and City fans will demand a return to business as usual, starting with the visit of United on Sunday.
“Of course, I question myself in the good moments and the bad moments. I was stable in the good moments and I’m stable in the bad moments,” Guardiola said after defeat in Turin left his side in 22nd place in the 36-team Champions League group.
CITY BACKLASH
United have conceded a total of 13 goals in their last three Premier League visits to their local rivals and will be wary of being on the receiving end of a City backlash.
But they did beat them in last year’s FA Cup final and will believe they can feed off City’s sudden fragility which has seen them concede 21 goals in all competitions since the start of November, more than any other club in Europe’s big five leagues.
Before City and United battle to restore lost pride on Sunday, Liverpool will return to Premier League action with a home game against Fulham on Saturday.
Last week’s postponement of the Merseyside derby because of stormy weather allowed second-placed Chelsea to reduce the Reds’ advantage to four points, albeit having played a game more.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool side maintained their 100% Champions League record on Tuesday by beating Girona 1-0, albeit with a display not to the Dutch coach’s liking.
Slot has set very high standards already and Fulham are likely to be in for a long afternoon at Anfield.
Chelsea, who face a 16-hour round trip to Kazakhstan in the Conference League this week, albeit without most of their first team, host Brentford on Sunday in a game that promises goals with the pair already having scored a combined 66 this term.
Third-placed Arsenal, who are six points behind Liverpool, host Everton on Saturday before Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa — sitting fifth and sixth respectively — meet.
