The Manchester derby has always been more than just a football match. It is a collision of pride, history, rivalry, and noise that shakes the very streets of the city. But this Sunday at the Etihad, as Manchester City host Manchester United in the 197th meeting between these two giants, something different will happen. Something rare. Something designed to change the atmosphere, to spark the fire inside every fan, to remind the world that the Etihad can roar louder than any other stadium in England. Manchester City have taken a rare action, one that shows just how much this game means. For a few minutes before kick-off, the PA system will be switched off. No booming music, no artificial noise, no club announcers hyping the crowd. Just silence. And then, just fans.
The supporters’ group known as 1984 confirmed it. They asked, and the club agreed. The PA will go quiet as the teams prepare to walk out of the tunnel. In that silence, the fans will rise, their chants will echo, their voices will fill the stadium, their songs will create the atmosphere. City want United to feel the weight of thousands of voices, raw and unfiltered, shaking the Etihad before a ball is even kicked. It is not the kind of move City make often. But this is not an ordinary derby.
Manchester United arrive above City in the Premier League table after just three games. Pep Guardiola’s team, usually relentless, have stumbled. A 4-0 thrashing of Wolves on opening day suggested normal service was in place. But then came Spurs. Then came Brighton. Two defeats, back-to-back, and suddenly the champions look vulnerable. For Guardiola, for the players, for the fans, this derby has become more than just a chance to win bragging rights. It has become the perfect opportunity to reset the season, to silence the doubts, to prove once again that Manchester is blue.
But United will not make it easy. Erik ten Hag’s men arrive with belief, with points, with memories of last season. They remember what happened at the Etihad the last time these two met. Josko Gvardiol gave City the lead, his header making it 1-0. The clock ticked down, the home fans were ready to celebrate. But then came chaos. Bruno Fernandes with an 88th-minute penalty after Matheus Nunes lost his head. And then, deep in stoppage time, Amad Diallo struck. A 2-1 win for United, snatched from the jaws of defeat, celebrated wildly by the red half of Manchester. For City, it was a nightmare. For United, it was glory. Those memories are fresh, those wounds are still open. And that is why City want the atmosphere to be electric from the very start.
The Etihad has often been accused of being too quiet, too polite, too dependent on the football rather than the noise. But when the fans rise, when they sing together, when they drown out the opponents with their voices, it can be a fortress. Guardiola knows this. The players know this. The supporters know this. That is why the PA will fall silent. That is why the voices of thousands will rise. It will be City against United, yes, but it will also be City fans against United fans, sound against sound, passion against passion.
And this derby arrives with more drama than ever. Injuries on both sides have threatened to shape the line-ups. At one point, it was suggested that City could be without as many as thirteen players. Omar Marmoush picked up a knee injury while on duty with Egypt. John Stones pulled out of the England squad with muscle issues. Youngsters Nico O’Reilly and Rico Lewis both withdrew from Under-21 games. Rayan Cherki, one of the brightest talents, is ruled out for two months with a thigh problem. The list went on and on, and City fans feared they would be forced to face United with a patched-up squad.
But in the days before the derby, hope has returned. Phil Foden, the magician of Manchester, is poised to return. So too are Savinho, Gvardiol, Rayan Aït-Nouri, and Abdukodir Khusanov. Suddenly, Guardiola may have weapons again. And then there is the possibility of a debut. Gianluigi Donnarumma, the Italian giant, the Euro 2020 hero, signed from Paris Saint-Germain for £26 million on deadline day, could make his first appearance in City blue. A debut in a Manchester derby, under the most intense spotlight. If that happens, the Etihad will witness history.
United also face changes. In goal, Andre Onana is gone, replaced by Senne Lammens, a 23-year-old Belgian who could be thrown straight into the derby. A baptism of fire like no other. In attack, United will be without Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount, both injured in the dramatic win over Burnley. But United are used to adversity, used to being written off, used to being doubted. And sometimes, that is when they are most dangerous.
This is what makes the derby so unpredictable. Form goes out the window. Injuries matter, yes, but emotion matters more. History matters. Passion matters. And this Sunday, City have decided that the atmosphere will matter most of all. The silence of the PA will not be empty. It will be charged, waiting for the roar. When the teams walk out, when the fans erupt, it will be a sound designed to shake United, to remind them that they are entering enemy territory.
For Guardiola, this is another test of his genius. He has built a machine at City, a team that has dominated English football, a side that plays with control, precision, and beauty. But now, after two defeats, questions are asked. Has the machine slowed? Has the hunger faded? Is this the beginning of the end of an era? Guardiola lives for these questions, thrives on proving people wrong, loves to rise in the biggest games. The derby gives him that chance.
For United, it is about belief. They know they are underdogs, they know City have the talent, the trophies, the dominance. But they also know that they can hurt them, that they can frustrate them, that they can silence the Etihad if they strike at the right moment. Bruno Fernandes will lead them, Marcus Rashford will run at them, Amad Diallo will dream of repeating last season’s heroics. They will arrive with no fear, because in the derby, fear is weakness.
And so the stage is set. The 197th Manchester derby, at a time when both clubs need it most. For City, to stop the slide and prove their power. For United, to build momentum and claim bragging rights. For the fans, to remind the world that this rivalry burns as fiercely as ever. The Etihad will fall silent, and then it will roar. Voices will rise, songs will echo, chants will thunder. No music, no microphones, no distractions. Just football, just fans, just history unfolding once more.
This is not just another derby. This is a battle for pride, for control, for the soul of Manchester. And when the ball is kicked, when the tackles fly, when the goals are scored, one side will celebrate and the other will suffer. But in those moments before kick-off, when the PA system is silent and the crowd takes over, everyone will feel it. The weight, the tension, the fire. The derby in its purest form.
