United fans will pray for another huge performance from clutch player to maintain unusual record

Manchester United return to Premier League action with an away day at the Etihad versus Manchester City.

The Red Devils have played 196 times against the blues, winning 80.

There have been 62 victories for City and a total of 54 draws between the two sides.

Here are three plotlines to dig into before the match tomorrow afternoon.

Strong Etihad record

Such has been Manchester City’s dominance in the Premier League since Pep Guardiola became manager in 2016, it is sometimes hard to remember United have actually done quite well at the Etihad.

There have been some humbling moments like the 3-6 defeat in 2022 under Erik ten Hag but United do better than most teams do against their fierce rivals.

The BBC report that “Manchester United have inflicted 25% of Pep Guardiola’s total home Premier League defeats as Man City manager, with the Red Devils winning four times there against the Spaniard (4/16).”

In addition, “they are looking for consecutive wins at the Etihad for the first time since March 2021 when they won 2-0 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Good omens for away side in Manchester derby

Usually home advantage is a huge part of any game, especially derbies.

For example, United have not won at their other great rivals stadium, Anfield, since 2016.

Nonetheless, both the Red Devils and the Citizens seem to prefer playing away from their own fans in this particular matchup.

“Since 2015-16, the home team has ended on the winning side in just six out of 20 Premier League meetings in the Manchester derby (4 draws, ten losses). Indeed, since then, the only Premier League fixture to see more away wins (10) is Crystal Palace vs Liverpool (12).”

For instance, United beat City 2-1 at the Etihad last year but have not beaten them at Old Trafford since January 2023 in another 2-1 victory.

Bruno Fernandes will likely be key

Whenever Man United do well, there is usually a strong performance from captain Bruno Fernandes, but this is even truer in the big games.

The Portuguese, like many of his teammates, fell flat in the Europa League final versus Tottenham Hotspur and his team lost the huge match.

Fernandes has also scored in each of United’s last three wins against Man City in the competition (March 2021, January 2023, December 2024).

He also played a sublime pass to assist Kobbie Mainoo’s goal in the 2024 FA Cup victory and scored a penalty in the 1-2 loss in the 2023 final to the same opponents.

Featured image Jan Kruger via Getty Images

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