By Charlie Oxtoby (sports aficionado the-sports-buff.com)
The Premier League prepares to kick off again as the international break comes to an end.
One of the biggest rivalries in English Football takes place on Sunday, making it the biggest focus of the week.
Manchester City host Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium as both teams will be eager to pick up three points.
But, that’s not just because of the feud as both sides have had a struggling start to this season, plus they underperformed last season.
Scraping a Champions League spot
After four consecutive Premier League titles, the Sky Blues were nothing but dominant.
However, apart from the FA Community Shield. last season felt like a struggle as no trophies were won and a European place was eventually claimed after a poor spell from November to December.
Guardiola’s side could not get past the knockout phase play-offs in the Champions League, losing to Real Madrid 6-3 on aggregate.
Just when things couldn’t get more surprising, City were on the other end of an underdog victory in the FA Cup Final, losing 1-0 to Crystal Palace.
Closer to Relegation than European Football
If you thought City had under-achieved, Man United suffered a worser fate through a dreadful season.
The Red Devils failed to succeed or triumph in any tournament, especially after finishing 15th in the Premier League.
Of course, Erik ten Hag led United until the end of October before Ruben Amorim took charge to improve the performance which clearly has not gone as planned.
The closest to title glory came at the Europa League Final where Amorim’s side could have qualified for Champions League football, however, they lost 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur who won their first major trophy in 17 years.
City’s start to the season
It’s been an eventful beginning for The Citizens, losing two of their first three games.
Manchester City kicked off the season with a 4-0 away win against Wolverhampton Wanderers with Erling Haaland bagging a brace and new signings, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki claiming their first goals for the club.
The momentum soon changed when City lost their first home game against Tottenham Hotspur, suffering a 2-0 defeat.
It would only be more unpleasant a week later as Guardiola’s squad conceded an 89th minute goal from Brajan Gruda to lose 2-1 against Brighton & Hove Albion.
United’s start to the season
The Reds of Manchester have gradually got better through the the arrival of this season after it started with a 1-0 loss away to Arsenal.
Amorim’s team couldn’t hold on to their lead against Fulham, conceding in the 73rd minute to draw 1-1 at Craven Cottage.
However, the worst moment of this year may have already happened for United as they were knocked out by Grimsby Town in the second round of the EFL Cup, losing 12-11 on penalties after coming back from 2-0 down to drawing 2-2.
Their first taste of success came in their last game as United defeated Burnley 3-2 thanks to a 97th minute penalty from Bruno Fernandes.
The Last Three Meetings
In the previous season, the Manchester derby occurred three times.
The first happened at Wembley in the FA Community Shield as after late goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Bernardo Silva ended the game in a 1-1 draw, City won 7-6 on penalties.
The second was hosted at the Etihad in one of the two Premier League fixtures as two late goals in two minutes from Fernandes and Amad Diallo saw United win 2-1 in classic derby day style.
The most recent game was not the most eventful at Old Trafford as both sides were held to a 0-0 draw at the beginning of April.
The Sports Buff ⚽️ ⚾️ 🏈 
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