In April, 13 years ago, the Manchester derby decided the Premier League title. Vincent Kompany's goal at the Etihad Stadium in April 2012 was a big step forward for Manchester City to lift the championship trophy.
That year's Manchester derby was said to mark the beginning of a new era of dominance between Man City and Man United. Even the games at Old Trafford and the Etihad are expected to have the same appeal as Real Madrid's clash with Barcelona. But in reality, that is not the case. Instead, Man United and Man City are about to meet in a derby that is perhaps the least watched match of the past decade.
The "Red Devils" are 13th in the Premier League table and are looking forward to next week's first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Lyon. Meanwhile, The Citizens need points to ensure they qualify for next season's Champions League. And of course, both teams no longer have a chance to compete for the championship. Perhaps, this weekend's Manchester derby is more meaningful in terms of honor.
Off the pitch, Man United are paying the price for 20 years of poor management under the Glazers. A series of mistakes in transfers are putting them in a difficult financial situation.
On the pitch, there was not much optimism for the Old Trafford team. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been skeptical about whether to keep Erik ten Hag back last summer. The Dutch captain was finally sacked in November and replaced by Ruben Amorim. The former Sporting boss has tried to adopt a completely new style of play, but with inappropriate players.
Amorim warned last December that "a storm is coming", and that is exactly what happened. Man United are at risk of finishing at the bottom of the Premier League for the longest time in their history. And perhaps, the Europa League is the last resort for Amorim's side.
For Man City, there are many factors both on and off the pitch affecting them. But in the end, all of these combinations led to the Citizens' worst season under Pep Guardiola since the 2016-17 campaign. And it could even be their worst performance in a single season since Sheikh Mansour took over the club in September 2008.
Injuries to key players, most notably the reigning Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, have weakened Man City. Poor transfers since the summer after the 2023 treble and a group of veteran players starting to fade are also other reasons.
In addition, off-field problems are also having an impact. In addition to the ongoing uncertainty over Man City's fate in the Premier League's 115 allegations hearing, there are still persistent doubts about Guardiola's future until he signed a new contract in November last year.
