The Manchester derby has always been one of the fiercest games in world football, a match that divides families, splits cities, and draws eyes from every corner of the planet. But this time, as Manchester City prepare to face Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, there is more than pride on the line. There is history, there is fear, there is pressure, and there is the weight of something Pep Guardiola would rather not think about. For if City lose this derby, they will sink to a level not seen in nearly thirty years, a record that carries shame and pain, a record that belongs to the Manchester City of old, not the global machine Guardiola has built in the modern era.
Back in 1995-96, Manchester City were a different club, a fragile side with chaos off the pitch and struggles on it. They lost games, they fought relegation battles, and that season ended in tears as they were sent down. It was an era when United dominated the city, winning trophies while City became a punchline. Fast forward three decades, and everything has changed. Guardiola arrived, trophies flooded in, and City became the strongest force English football had ever seen, winning four league titles in a row, rewriting the rules of dominance, and leaving rivals gasping in their shadow. But now, after just three games of the new Premier League season, that shadow has started to look weaker, smaller, and maybe, just maybe, breakable.
City started their campaign the way champions usually do, crushing Wolves 4-0, playing the kind of football that makes opponents surrender before the whistle even goes. It was fast, ruthless, and controlled, a performance that made fans believe nothing had changed, that City would march on again. But then came Tottenham. But then came Brighton. Two defeats in a row. Two games where the aura of Guardiola’s men cracked, where mistakes crept in, where possession and control counted for nothing against energy, bravery, and belief. Suddenly, City are not only behind in the table, but six points adrift of their fiercest rivals in this race, Liverpool, who have started like a storm.
And now comes Manchester United. A wounded United, yes. A United still figuring themselves out under Ruben Amorim. A United who have not convinced yet. But still Manchester United. And still a derby. These games have never cared about form or league tables, they care only about pride, about moments, about who wants it more when the fire burns. And for Guardiola, the fear is real. Lose here, and history will come back to mock him. Lose here, and City will have been beaten in three of their opening four league games for the first time since 1995-96. That year ended in relegation. This year will not, of course, but the stain of such a record would cut deep, reminding the football world that even the biggest giants can stumble
For Ruben Amorim, the stakes are different. He has arrived at Old Trafford with the reputation of a rising star in management, a man who made his name with Sporting Lisbon, a man who plays bold football and trusts youth. But England is not Portugal. The Premier League is not forgiving. Already, questions have been asked. United started poorly, with only four points from nine, and though Bruno Fernandes’ late penalty against Burnley gave Amorim his first league win, the pressure has not vanished. United fans are desperate for belief, desperate for hope, desperate to see their team rise again after years of disappointment. A win against City at the Etihad would change everything for Amorim. It would not only silence critics but also ignite his era in Manchester with a statement that could not be ignored.
And so, two managers walk into this derby from very different angles. One is a proven legend with everything to lose. The other is a newcomer with everything to gain. Guardiola knows what it means to control this rivalry, to dominate United, to keep City on top of the hill. Amorim knows what it would mean to knock him down, even if only for one day.
The players, too, carry the weight of this moment. City’s new signings were supposed to strengthen them, to keep them ahead of the pack. Gianluigi Donnarumma arrived with the reputation of one of the best goalkeepers in the world, ready to guard the Etihad net like a wall. Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders were brought in to add fresh energy and dynamism. On paper, Guardiola had reinforced an already golden squad. But football is not played on paper, and right now, those signings feel like answers waiting for the right questions. Against United, those questions will come.
United, meanwhile, are still adjusting to Amorim’s ideas. Lisandro Martinez remains a huge miss at the back, his warrior spirit irreplaceable. Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha’s injuries have created gaps in attack. Yet United still carry threats. Fernandes, the captain, is the heartbeat, always capable of producing magic. Young players are pushing for chances. And in derbies, it has never mattered if one side looks weaker on paper. The noise, the fight, the fire—it can lift any player, it can break any favorite.
The Etihad itself will be a cauldron. City fans know the importance. They know history is on the line, and they will roar their team forward, trying to drag them past the fear. United fans, those who make the journey, will dream of spoiling the party, of turning the Etihad into a place of silence. Both sets of supporters know what this means. This is not just a game, this is thirty years of rivalry, thirty years of memories, thirty years of swings in power.
And beyond all of this, the fixture list adds even more weight. After United, City face Napoli in the Champions League and then Arsenal in the Premier League. These are not games you want to enter with three defeats already hanging around your neck. Guardiola knows momentum is everything in football. Lose to United, and the spiral becomes harder to stop. Win, and confidence can return, belief can flow again, and the season can restart.
For Amorim, the equation is simpler. Win, and you become a hero. Win, and you show that your United can stand up to the champions. Lose, and questions will continue. But even in defeat, he will not face the kind of pressure Guardiola would. The burden is heavier on City. The expectation is heavier on City. That is the strange truth of this derby: the underdog feels freer, the favorite feels trapped.
And so, as the countdown ticks, the world waits. Will Guardiola steady the ship, protect his legacy, and silence the whispers of decline? Or will Amorim announce himself with the loudest of statements, handing City a thirty-year low and dragging them into a storm they thought they had long escaped?
This is more than just a football match. This is history chasing City, this is opportunity chasing United, this is a clash of fear and hope. On Sunday, when the whistle blows, it will not just be about who has the better players, the better tactics, or the better manager. It will be about who can carry the weight of the moment without breaking. It will be about pride, about history, about the scars of the past and the dreams of the future.
And whatever happens, the Manchester derby will once again remind the world why football is not just a game—it is a story written in fire, in sweat, in noise, and in memories that last forever.
