Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton thinks Manchester City will beat Manchester United but has called into question Pep Guardiola’s energy levels.
City have won one of their last six in the Premier League and have one point from their last three matches in the Champions League.
It is safe to say they are enduring their worst period since Guardiola took charge in 2016. Their recent form has left qualification to the last 16 of the Champions League in serious doubt, while the champions are already trailing Premier League leaders Liverpool – who have a game in hand –by eight points.
Hosting United in the Manchester derby could be the perfect fixture to get back to winning ways, but the Red Devils go to the Etihad under little pressure to win, which could work in their favour.
Ruben Amorim recently took over as Man United head coach and his last game in charge of Sporting CP just happened to be a 4-1 win over Guardiola’s side in Europe.
City’s poor form has come as a shock to us all, while the Red Devils’ slow start to the season has surprised basically nobody, even if they appeared to operate like a Proper Club in the summer.
Sunday’s clash could be cagey, chaotic, fantastic or rubbish and no result would surprise us. Premier League winner Sutton thinks City will win 3-1, though.
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Prediction aside, Sutton says Guardiola’s recent quotes centred around “not having enough energy” could have been the kick up the backside his players need.
“The wheels have really come off at Manchester City now – who saw that coming?” Sutton wrote in his BBC predictions column.
“City just cannot keep a clean sheet – they have managed one in their past 10 games – and now their manager Pep Guardiola is talking about being tired.
“I know it was in the context of him not having enough energy to go to another club and starting again there, but it must have sent a message to his current players too.
“You never know with Pep, and he may have just been being sarcastic, but if he really is tired then does he have the energy required to turn City around? That would be a worry for City, with the run they are on.
“Meanwhile, at Manchester United, new manager Ruben Amorim is barely through the door and the club’s owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is telling everyone they are ‘mediocre’.
“Amorim beat City 4-1 in his final game in charge of Sporting before he came to Old Trafford which got United fans very excited, but they have soon realised whenever they have played anyone half-decent that they are the same team that were struggling under Erik ten Hag.
“Basically, both teams have been really bad, so what on earth do I go for here?
“In the recent past I have always gone with City in Manchester derbies and, while Amorim beat them with Sporting, you have to remember City could have been a few goals up by half-time in that game.
“So, I am going to go with City to win at home and maybe rejuvenate Pep before Christmas.
“Speaking of stats, I have got a good one for you – United never lost three league games in a row in more than two years under Ten Hag, but Amorim will manage that in less than a month if he is beaten here.”
More importantly, darts player Steven Bunting was predicting with Sutton and says City will win a “cagey” game 2-1.
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