Manchester City vs Manchester Utd prediction: ENGLAND: Premier League betting tips on match 2024-12-14 16:30.
[p]As has become the norm over the last decade, Manchester City enter the derby against rivals Manchester United as favourites, but unusually, thatās not down to their current form. After a 2-0 loss to Juventus in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, Pep Guardiolaās men have now suffered seven defeats from their last ten matches across all competitions (W1, D2) – as many as in their previous 105 games![/p]
[p]That leaves the defending champions eight points off the pace of leaders Liverpool having played a game more heading into the weekend, so a fifth successive title now looks to be unrealistic. Recovering bragging rights in Manchester after last yearās FA Cup final defeat remains imperative however, so City fans will be encouraged by the fact theyāve won five of the last six Premier League H2Hs (L1), while only once have they been beaten at the Etihad Stadium this term (W7, D3).[/p]
[p]Ruben Amorimās first taste of the Manchester derby comes on the back of a comeback 2-1 win over Viktoria PlzeÅ on Thursday, which not only snapped a two-match losing streak but made the Portuguese just the third manager in club history to win his first two European games in charge. Heāll hope thatās not the only way he follows in the footsteps of Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Matt Busby, though the last time United lost four successive visits to City was under Busby between 1952 and 1955![/p]
[p]Thatās a fate that could await United here if they canāt build on their first away victory since mid-September (D5, L2). The Red Devils havenāt gone back-to-back on the road since February, so their chances of climbing the table appear slim as Amorim chases a unique piece of history, as he could become just the second manager to beat the reigning Premier League champions with different teams in the same season.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Manchester City duo Erling Haaland and Phil Foden are striving for greatness here, as they both sit just two shy of Sergio AgĆ¼eroās club record tally of eight goals for the club in Premier League Manchester derbies. United captain Bruno Fernandes assisted their winning goal late on Thursday and could be key for the visitors having assisted a goal in each of his last three H2Hs.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Since the start of November, no side across Europeās traditional top-five leagues have conceded as many goals as Manchester City (21).[/p]
[p][i]Written by Ryan Fisher[/i][/p]