Foden and Nunes return to starting line-up for Manchester Derby

City make two changes for today’s Manchester Derby with Phil Foden and Matheus Nunes coming into the starting XI.

Foden is back fit after missing recent games through illness and was on the bench for our Champions League clash with Juventus in midweek.

Jack Grealish drops to the bench while Rico Lewis misses out through suspension after his red card in our draw with Crystal Palace.

Young striker Divin Mubama is also among the City substitutes for the first time along with John Stones.

TEAMS

CITY XI: Ederson, Walker (C), Dias, Gvardiol, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Nunes, Foden, Doku, Haaland

Subs: Ortega, Stones, Kovacic, Grealish, Savinho, Simpson-Pusey, Mubama, O'Reilly, McAtee

WATCH: City v Manchester United: Derby day is here!

TACTICS AND FORMATION

Injuries to Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake, the suspension of Lewis and Stones not starting, means Pep Guardiola is short of defensive options.

The City boss could potentially go with a back-three of Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol with Nunes and Jeremy Doku.

That would leave a midfield of Ilkay Gundogan, Foden, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva to gain control in the central areas.

And one of them could move alongside Erling Haaland to add extra attacking power.

SHOOTING STARS

Haaland and Foden both have six Premier League goals against Manchester United during their careers, the most of any player involved today.

That record is helped by hat-tricks in the 6-3 victory in October 2022, and if either of them can repeat that feat, they will break the record for most derby goals in the Premier League.

City’s Sergio Aguero and United’s Wayne Rooney both share that current record with eight goals in total.

Rooney has the most goals in this fixture with 11 in total – one more than City legends Francis Lee and Joe Hayes.

New face

Guardiola will come up against his fifth Manchester United manager during his time in charge at the Etihad Stadium.

It all began back in September 2016 with a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford when the newly-appointed Jose Mourinho was in charge at the Reds.

Since then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and Erik Ten Hag have all taken the hotseat at United.

New United boss Ruben Amorim has been to the Etihad only once before, when he was in charge at Sporting CP, recording a goalless draw in a Champions League match in March 2022.

City progressed to the quarter-finals having won the first leg in Portugal 5-0.

KEY STATS

City have won five of our last six Premier League games against United.

United have lost each of their last three Premier League away games against City, conceding 13 goals in the process. They last lost four consecutive league visits to City between 1952 and 1955.

United have lost 20 Premier League games against City – only against Arsenal (21) have they lost more in the competition.

United have lost both of their last two Premier League games, last losing three in a row within a single season in December 2015 under Louis van Gaal.

Amorim is yet to lose three on the bounce in his top-flight managerial career, with this his 172nd such match across Portugal’s Primeira Liga and England’s Premier League.

39% of Man Utd’s goals conceded in the Premier League this season have come from corner situations (7/18), the highest share in the division.

So far in 2024, they’ve conceded 15 goals from corners, just three fewer than they did in 2021 (8), 2022 (4) and 2023 (6) combined.

After registering just two goal involvements (two assists) in his nine Premier League games under Erik Ten Hag this season, Man Utd’s Bruno Fernandes has had a hand in six in his last six following the Dutchman’s departure (3 goals, 3 assists). The Portuguese has also been involved in five goals in his last six appearances against Man City in all competitions (2 goals, 3 assists), providing an assist in each of the last three.