Manchester United

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

In the match build-up, Ruben Amorim was asked who had the bigger issues to resolve - him or Pep Guardiola.

Amorim was incredulous.

"To compare me with the situation of Guardiola? Is just a joke. I think we have bigger problems," he said.

Manchester United, who went into the derby ahead of their rivals in the table for the first time since 2020, did well for long periods. Yet it was Manchester City who secured a deserved and very comfortable 3-0 win because, when it really mattered, they were a different class to their visitors.

They had a couple of opportunities to really threaten the home goal in the first half. Unfortunately, on the first occasion, Amad Diallo's pass to Bryan Mbeumo was overhit and too wide. On the second, Benjamin Sesko played Mbeumo into trouble when a better execution would have sent the Cameroon forward clear.

On his first Premier League start, Sesko had one opportunity when he was sent running at the City goal, only for the Slovenian to take a heavy first touch and chip his shot into Gianluigi Donnarumma, who had closed the gap right down.

Presented with a similar situation in the second half, Erling Haaland forced his way past Matthijs de Ligt and Luke Shaw and then calmly chipped over an advancing Altay Bayindir.

Amorim was right. He has much bigger problems than Guardiola.

That is the easy bit. The big question is how can he solve them?

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim spoke to BBC Match of the Day after his side's defeat by Manchester City: "If you look at the goals we can avoid those goals. That was the biggest difference. We can do better, especially the second goal. We suffered goals we can avoid.

"The biggest difference was when we had transitions, we didn't score. In the second half they did better in transition and we suffered in that moment.

"We can do better, that is clear but again transitions - the third goal, lack of quality in the connection, people don't know who is going to the ball and then the guy is free to score. The first one he is in the middle of four guys and we can be aggressive in that moment.

"In these kind of games we need to be perfect and in this game we were not perfect. The frustration is always the same because with the amount of chances we need to score goals.

"We need to work on a lot of things for the next game."

Did you know?

• Manchester United have picked up just 14 points in 16 away games in the Premier League under Ruben Amorim (W3 D5 L8); since his first game in charge in November last season, this is the fewest away points of any ever-present side.

• This was the 57th Premier League Manchester derby – but the first of those not to see a single yellow or red card shown.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Man City's performance

What did you make of Man Utd's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Manchester City make six changes to the side that suffered a last-gasp defeat at Brighton before the international break.

Deadline day signing Gianluigi Donnarumma comes straight into the starting line-up for his debut, replacing James Trafford.

Local boy Phil Foden also starts with Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Nico O'Reilly and Jeremy Doku coming in.

Matheus Nunes and Oscar Bobb drop to the bench, while John Stones, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Omar Marmoush are not involved.

Man City XI: Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly, Rodri, Reijnders, Silva, Doku, Foden, Haaland.

Subs: Ake, Bobb, Gonzalez, Lewis, Mfuni, Savinho, Mukasa, Nunes, Trafford

Manchester United make four changes to the side that edged out Burnley in their previous game.

Benjamin Sesko gets his first start up front, with Noussair Mazraoui making his first appearance of the season following a muscular issue.

Patrick Dorgu and surprisingly Manuel Ugarte also come in, with Casemiro on the bench alongside new signing Senne Lammens.

Diogo Dalot, Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha miss out.

Man Utd XI: Bayindir, Mazraoui, Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw, Dorgu, Ugarte, Fernandes, Diallo, Mbeumo, Sesko.

Subs: Casemiro, Fredricson, Heaton, Heaven, Lammens, Leon, Maguire, Mainoo Zirkzee

There are two games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Burnley v Liverpool (14:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Man City v Man Utd (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times BST

Follow and listen to Burnley v Liverpool here

And Man City v Man Utd is here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Burnley v Liverpool" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Manchester City v Manchester United".

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

I can see Bryan Mbeumo hurting Manchester City, with Manchester United counter-attacking and him being a thorn in their backline chasing balls in behind. I am also not as convinced by City if James Trafford keeps his place in goal.

So, I think United will definitely score, but I still cannot go against City at Etihad Stadium because we know they will create chances there.

I don't want to keep bringing up the goalkeeper but City's chances of getting the results they need will definitely be improved if new signing Gianluigi Donnarumma is in goal because right now they need a big presence there, and Trafford doesn't give them that.

The same position is a huge call for United boss Ruben Amorim on Sunday too, but in a totally different way.

United signed Senne Lammens ahead of Aston Villa's Emi Martinez, who has definitely got the kind of presence that brings confidence to his defence the same way Donnarumma does.

We know Lammens has got these amazing save statistics, but there is much more to being Manchester United's goalkeeper than that.

Amorim confirmed on Friday that Altay Bayindir will start against City, so people are going to scrutinise that decision and ask why he didn't put Lammens in straight away if he rates him so highly.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

The Etihad is set to host to the 197th Manchester derby this weekend with both City and United enduring indifferent starts this season. BBC Sport explores some key themes as this historic rivalry continues.

Three points from a possible nine represents Pep Guardiola's worst start to any league season, while 21 years have passed since Manchester City were last beaten in two of their opening three Premier League matches.

The previous time City lost three of their first four top-flight games was in 1995-96 under Alan Ball. That campaign ended in relegation and while that is almost certainly not going to happen to this side, defeat here could see them fall nine points behind the early pacesetters Liverpool.

Guardiola will again look to the in-form Erling Haaland to fire his side to victory. The 25-year-old scored a hat-trick in his first Manchester derby in 2022 and warmed up for this one by netting five times in Norway's 11-1 victory over Moldova.

It was the third five-goal haul of Haaland's senior career and he has now scored 48 international goals in 45 caps. City's number nine would usually dominate the headlines given the week he has had, but most of the focus during the build-up is likely to be on the club's new number 99.

Gianluigi Donnarumma could become the eighth City player to make their Premier League bow in a Manchester derby and the third goalkeeper after Andreas Isaksson in 2006 and Claudio Bravo in 2016. Neither kept a clean sheet, although Isaksson did appear as a half-time substitute for Nicky Weaver.

Five of the previous seven debutants ended up on the winning side, two found the net and one - Mikhail Kavelashvili - is now the president of Georgia.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has elected to stick with Altay Bayindir as his number one goalkeeper despite Senne Lammens arriving from Royal Antwerp for £18m on deadline day.

The Belgian will have to wait a little longer for his United debut but is likely to be on the bench on Sunday after Andre Onana's loan move to Turkish side Trabzonspor.

Bayindir has failed to impress in his brief spell as Manchester United's first choice – bar his FA Cup penalty heroics at Arsenal last season - and he is one of just three keepers to make an error leading to a goal this term.

Regardless of who plays in goal, United will be buoyed by the fact they are yet to lose to their Manchester rivals under Amorim, with a 2-1 victory at the Etihad last season followed by a goalless draw at Old Trafford in April.

Listen to commentary of the Manchester derby on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds on Sunday

You can also listen to 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Manchester City v Manchester United".

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Image source, Getty Images

What's the cause of Manchester United's big underperformance?

The Red Devils have only won one of their first four matches this campaign - their late 3-2 victory over Burnley in the Premier League.

It could be that the players simply aren't good enough - in which case United buying a whole new frontline and goalkeeper this summer makes a lot more sense – or a lack of confidence or just plain old bad luck.

One thing that won't have helped the players be efficient under Ruben Amorim and that could be blamed on his tactics is that since he took charge, United have taken both the lowest-quality shots up front and given up the highest-quality shots at the back.

However, if we look at their 30 Premier League games under Amorim overall, while obviously starting from a low bar, the team have been steadily improving since the start of March, creating more and better chances than their opponents (the yellow line) even if results currently suggest otherwise (the black line).

Why does it matter how much more United have recently dominated games and been 'expected' to score when at the end of the day, scoring and conceding actual goals is all that matters?

Because history tells us that football is a simple game: the more a team creates lots of good chances up front and allows few, bad ones at the back, the more success they have in the long term.

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United youngster Sam Mather could still leave the club even though his hopes of a move to Turkey have been dashed.

Mather, 21, was in talks with Super Lig outfit Kayserispor about a deadline day deal but negotiations failed to reach a positive conclusion on Friday.

The Salford-born winger has been featuring in United's Premier League 2 side this season and started the recent victory over Manchester City at Leigh.

However, he is keen to play senior football and his representatives are continuing to explore options.

Serbia and Israel are the only two Uefa-registered countries where players can still move but the transfer windows in both the United Arab Emirates and Qatar remain open.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

The time frame for Lisandro Martinez's return from injury has been the subject of several questions sent in via our Ask about Manchester United form.

United have been reluctant to offer any guidance on this, although during the summer I was told the Argentina defender was still "months" away.

In general, cruciate ligament injuries have an eight-month recovery period, which would be the beginning of October.

Ruben Amorim is notoriously cautious about when he brings players back from injury and he has the insurance of having Luke Shaw and England Under-20 debutant Ayden Heaven available for the left central defensive slot, which also hints at time being taken for a first-team return.

I would be surprised to see Martinez back until after the October international break and it might be longer before he is ready to start.

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has given an insight into his life away from the pitch in a special episode of The Football Interview.

The Portugal international discusses his competitive nature and offers detail on what it's like to be judged by those who don't know him.

Take a look at the clip or watch Bruno Fernandes - The Football Interview in full here

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United have had someone from their academy in every first-team matchday squad since 1937.

That is an impressive record and one the club use to prove their commitment to youth development.

Yet Kobbie Mainoo was the only academy player in Ruben Amorim's squad for the win against Burnley immediately before the international break and the England midfielder went into the last days of the transfer window having told United he wanted a loan move away.

That request was not granted. But without Mainoo, for whatever reason, that record is in peril.

There are other players who fit the bill; including veteran goalkeeper Tom Heaton and young defender Tyler Fredericson.

However, Amorim has to deliver a winning team, not maintain records.

It is a very delicate balance. Yet it seems the United boss will only wreck the record if he has no choice.

"We want to maintain it," he said. "The past of Manchester United is built on kids.

"I don't want to be the guy that breaks that."

As the countdown continues to Sunday's Manchester derby, BBC Radio Manchester's Total Sport team brought you a live preview show.

Tap on the video below to watch it back (scroll to 13:46)...

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United have included Tyrell Malacia in their 25-man Premier League squad for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.

Malacia was the only member of the five-man 'bomb squad', which included Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Jadon Sancho, who did not get a move away from Old Trafford this summer.

His last appearance for the Red Devils came in United's final group stage match of the 2024-25 Europa League against Romanian side FCSB.

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport Journalist

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium (kick-off 16:30).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Amrorim confirmed Matheus Cunha, Diogo Dalot and Mason Mount are all out for Sunday's match, adding that he "doesn't know" how long they will be unavailable for.

• He says he is "really pleased" with the signing of Senne Lammens: "He is a goalkeeper with a lot of potential. The goalkeeper needs to be strong with a lot of experience, but we have to look at the present with a focus on the future. It is a little bit of both. He has great potential and he will be ready."

• He confirmed Altay Bayindir will start in Sunday's match, adding: "It is a different league and country [for Lammens]. They will fight for the position, but in this game it is clear."

• On Sunday's opponents: "They are a top team with the best coach in the league. It is really hard to imagine how they will play because they change all the time, but we will be ready. It doesn't matter [that United are above them in the table]."

• He was asked about the famous club record, in which an academy player has featured in every matchday squad since 1937: "I don't want to be the guy that breaks that record. The past of Manchester United is built on kids that grew up here and stayed here for a long time. That should be our goal and I will try and maintain that."

• On Andre Onana's departure: "It could have been [that he stayed] but we understood this needed a change. It is hard to point out why - the performance, the moment, the bad luck in some moments, it was hard on him and us. Our thinking is to have a change in the goalkeepers. I wish him all the best."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to full match commentary of the Manchester Derby on BBC Radio 5 Live

Hear more from Amorim on BBC Sounds