Manchester City will face off against fierce rivals Manchester United in a highly anticipated derby match at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. The team will be looking to turn their fortunes around after a rough patch of form in recent games.
Pep Guardiola’s side have shockingly won just one, drawn two and lost seven of their last 10 fixtures in all competitions, to fall well behind Liverpool in the title race.
Even after that, they still sit nine places above Manchester United in the table, but the visitors will aim to capitalise on City’s current vulnerability.
Lift-off for Amorim?Manchester United’s last three trips to the Etihad have ended in defeat – 3-1 last term, after previous 6-3 and 4-1 reverses – but former Red Devils defender Wes Brown hopes it might be different this time, under new boss Ruben Amorim.
“I’m not sure how this one is going to go – I mean, Man City are obviously going to be the underdog!” he joked.
“Will this be the lift off for Ruben’s revolution? It’s definitely an occasion where we could really turn it on.”
Amorim guided Sporting to a 4-1 win over Manchester City in the Champions League last month, before moving to Old Trafford.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.He’s won three, drawn one and lost two of six games in charge of Manchester United so far, after switching the team to a 3-4-3 formation.
The Portuguese boss has made several changes to his starting line-ups during his first few matches, as he’s got to know his players.
“Obviously, we would have been training a lot more, the players should be more familiar with what he wants now, so for this game, you never know,” Brown said, speaking in association with 10bet.
“I think Amorim might pick what he thinks is his best 11 for this game. He’s had a few weeks to look at his options and assess his players. It’s going to be very interesting.
“I think City will be better for this one, but Amorim would have been watching their games and he will know where United can get at them.
“It’s a derby. Previously, I would have expected City to dominate the ball, but with the way they’re playing at the moment, you just don’t know.
“United have definitely got a chance to go there and win. City have been really sloppy lately. All the pressure is on City.”