United and City face off in lowest-calibre Manchester derby for decades

The sad decline of both Manchester clubs illustrates how easily the mighty can fall, as the pair meet to play for little more than pride

Welcome to Manchester, to borrow a hackneyed phrase. Although the invitation may seem less enticing than it has for quite some time.

“This, without a shadow of a doubt, will be the global capital of football in the rest of the 21st century,” said the mayor, Andy Burnham, last year. He may yet be proved right and the Everton supporter was talking in the context of a new Old Trafford and an expanded Etihad Stadium. But not now.

If Madrid has had a stronger case to be the world’s footballing capital over recent years, Manchester could have regarded itself as England’s unofficial centre. Some 21 of the 32 Premier League titles have gone to Manchester, an era of United dominance followed by one of City superiority. Its twin halves have converged on London for the 2023 and 2024 FA Cup finals. Since the Premier League was founded, United and City have a combined 64 trophies.

Neither Ruben Amorim nor Pep Guardiola have had much to cheer about this season (Getty Images)

They could make it 66 in 33 years, topping the annual average of two, considering City beat United to win the Community Shield in August. Now City are the favourites for the FA Cup and United the only unbeaten side in the Europa League. And yet there are reasons to call Sunday’s meeting the lowest-calibre derby in decades. It is 13th against fifth; unless other results demote United to 14th or 15th before kick-off. There is the possibility – either because of the hearing into City’s 115 (or 130) charges or simply due to results on the pitch – that Manchester will have no representative in the Champions League next season. That has not happened since 1995-96.

This derby is not a summit clash, a title decider. It has a greater significance for City; normally by this stage of a season, they need not worry about finishing in the top four and five. United are in the unusual position of having little to play for: directly, anyway, given that local pride, preparation for a Europa League decider against Lyon, a bid to belatedly kick-start Ruben Amorim’s reign and provide form, understanding and optimism ahead of next year all have a relevance.

But aggregate the league positions – and 13 plus five makes 18 – and it is only the third biggest game on Sunday, after Fulham against Liverpool and Chelsea’s trip to Brentford. Aston Villa versus Nottingham Forest is arguably the plum tie of the weekend, which perhaps has not been the case since Ron Saunders and Brian Clough were in the dugouts.

And so United and City convene at Old Trafford, the visitors without their two talismanic figures, the only duo in Pep Guardiola’s squad who are definitely world-class now, the injured Erling Haaland and Rodri. Many of those who Guardiola last week called “legendary” players risk being found on the bench, whether due to age, form or the problem of determining who should be in this diminished City team. The departing Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden may not be.

United, meanwhile, have spent some £600m in three years, about £1.6bn since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, and have a bottom-half team, with a lone elite force in Bruno Fernandes. New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe last year voiced an ambition to knock City off their perch; it transpires that Forest, who have beaten both Manchester clubs in the last month, may have done that. “We will have to face a lot of adversity and a lot of big teams, more than in the past,” noted Amorim. “Not just Manchester City but other teams, they already are in a place that we need a lot to catch them.”

Bruno Fernandes has been a rare positive for United this season (Getty Images)

If only temporarily, others have overtaken City. The pre-season expectation may have been that the derby would be fourth against first. “It should be like two great teams fighting for the title,” said Amorim in December. Will it be again? Is it a one-off season of expensive underachievement?

United have their assortment of slogans – “Project 150”, “Mission 21” – but these are straitened times financially. City were at least able to spend more than £170m in January. They have the budget and leeway to invest heavily again in the summer. There are more reasons to think they will be contenders again soon whereas Amorim said: “I am not saying we are going to win the title next year, I am not crazy.”

He also stated: “I think we have bigger problems than Manchester City.” And if he meant United had to concentrate on their issues before thinking about their neighbours, he was nevertheless right. United did at least compound City’s problems with their smash-and-grab win in December at the Etihad.

Kevin de Bruyne will be among the City exodus this summer (Getty Images)

Yet their rematch comes at a time when United possess a poor home record and City a bad away one. This will probably prove United’s worst league campaign since 1989-90, and perhaps since the relegation season of 1973-74 and maybe City’s poorest since 2008-09.

There have been plenty of times in the subsequent 15 years when it has felt that the eyes of the footballing world have been on the Mancunian meetings, on the epic 4-3 in 2009, the shocking 6-1 in 2011, the title decider in 2012, on Guardiola against Jose Mourinho, on FA Cup finals and semi-finals.

Now? The build-up to Sunday’s game was overshadowed by De Bruyne’s announcement he is leaving City. The Belgian is a great. Whereas, depending on the exact definition, this City side is further from greatness than any for years. And United, who have to stare up the league table to see five teams in the actual capital, have been worse still.