Manchester City v Manchester United (2024-25)

General

Players

Manchester City v Manchester United (2024–25)

Manchester City Manchester United 1 2
HT:1–0 Report
Event	Premier League 2024-25
Date	Sunday 15 December 2024
Venue	Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Player of the Match	Amad Diallo
Referee	Anthony Taylor
Weather	11 °C (51 °F)
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Manchester City v Manchester United was a match which took place at Etihad Stadium on Sunday 15 December 2024.

Team News

Manchester City

Rico Lewis is suspended for Manchester City following his red card against Crystal Palace.

Manager Pep Guardiola has only three senior defenders available and says he may need to use midfielders as makeshift full-backs or wing-backs.

Rodri, Oscar Bobb, Nathan Ake, John Stones and Manuel Akanji are still injured, though Phil Foden and Mateo Kovacic returned to the matchday squad against Juventus in midweek and could make their comebacks on Sunday.

Manchester United

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has reported no fresh injury concerns.

Jonny Evans has resumed training and may come back into contention but Luke Shaw remains sidelined.

Match facts

Head-to-head

• Manchester United have lost five of the six most recent Premier League meetings, including each of their past three visits to the Etihad Stadium.
• United have not lost four consecutive league games away to City since 1955.
• The Red Devils have lost 20 Premier League matches versus Manchester City, second only to their tally of 21 defeats against Arsenal.
• This will be the first league match between the sides for four years in which neither team begins the day in the top three.

Manchester City

• City have only won once in 10 matches in all competitions, losing seven times – as many defeats as in their prior 105 fixtures.
• Pep Guardiola's side have conceded at least twice in seven of their past 11 league games, as many times as in their previous 62 matches.
• The Blues have taken four points from their last six Premier League games, which is a joint low with Southampton prior to the latest round of fixtures.
• City's tally of 27 points is their lowest at this stage since 2010. The last side with 27 points or fewer after 15 games who went on to win the Premier League title were Manchester United in 2002-03.
• Erling Haaland has scored six goals and assisted three more in four league appearances against United.
• Haaland's tally of six Premier League goals in Manchester derbies is matched by Phil Foden, and bettered by only Sergio Aguero and Wayne Rooney (both eight) and Eric Cantona (seven).

Manchester United

• United are in danger of losing three consecutive league games for the first time since a run of four defeats between May and August 2022.
• They have conceded 39% of their Premier League goals this season from corners (seven of 18), the highest proportion in the competition.
• United's tally of 19 points from 15 league fixtures is their lowest at this stage since 1986, two league matches into Sir Alex Ferguson's tenure.
• September's 3-0 win at Southampton is their only victory in seven Premier League away games this term (D3, L3).
• Harry Maguire is one shy of 250 Premier League appearances.
• Alejandro Garnacho is vying to become the first United player to score in three consecutive Manchester derbies since Paul Scholes in 2003-04.

Match Report

Manchester United struck twice in the closing minutes to stun Manchester City in a dramatic derby conclusion at Etihad Stadium.

Josko Gvardiol's first-half header looked to be giving City victory in a largely dismal clash until United staged a remarkable turnaround to give new manager Ruben Amorim a landmark win early in his reign.

Amad Diallo was United's star performer, winning the 88th minute penalty that saw Bruno Fernandes equalise after the youngster was fouled by Matheus Nunes.

As City tried to regroup, Diallo then pounced in the closing seconds of normal time to score from a tight angle.

It was a rich reward for United boss Amorim after he ruthlessly axed Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho from his match day squad, but then suffered an early blow when Mason Mount was struck down by his latest injury, limping off after only 14 minutes.

Opportunities were at a premium in a game largely made up of desperate mediocrity, United looking to have wasted their best opportunity to equalise 17 minutes from time when Fernandes raced clear on to Rasmus Hojlund's pass, only to lift his finish over the onrushing Ederson but wide.

The game was turned on its head in that frantic finale, City's fans furious and jeering their side while United's followers celebrated wildly in their corner of Etihad Stadium.

United's late win was something few – perhaps not even Amorim himself – saw coming as a game that had been so undistinguished appeared to be moving towards an uneventful conclusion.

And then, in a final few minutes totally out of keeping with the mediocre fare that had gone before, United gave Amorim a personal triumph that will instantly increase his standing among United's supporters.

United had barely been troubled by Pep Guardiola's off-colour Premier League champions, but had created little of the their own, that Fernandes chance apart, until the always lively Diallo took a hand.

He collected a poor pass from Nunes in the 88th minute, who then compounded his error by chasing back and flattening the United forward with a reckless challenge, allowing Fernandes to make up for his earlier miss.

Diallo then showed real composure in the final minute of normal time to squeeze in United's winner from a title angle, Etihad Stadium stunned into silence apart from the ecstatic visiting fans.

Amorim took two big decisions to ditch Rashford and Garnacho from his squad completely, an early indicator that he will not shy away from difficult calls, no matter how big the profile of the player involved.

It had the desired impact, albeit late on, as United returned to winning ways in the most satisfying way possible after losing at Arsenal then at home to Nottingham Forest.

City continued their retreat into the dark shadows of their old glories as they snatched defeat from the brink of victory in the Manchester derby.

As he has in recent times, Guardiola cut an agitated, animated figure, even almost expressing his displeasure when City's goal from Gvardiol's header came after Kevin De Bruyne's header had been deflected in the direction of the defender.

Guardiola was grateful for that advantage as the clock ticked down, only for City to engineer another damaging result with a late collapse as United sensed vulnerability in a side that has completely lost the aura of superiority that sustained them as they won an historic four straight Premier League titles.

City barely created any meaningful opportunities, Erling Haaland marginalised, the midfield lacking creation and captain Kyle Walker embarrassing himself when he needlessly collapsed to the floor in dramatic fashion in a tame head-to-head with United striker Rasmus Hojlund.

These are troubled times for City, as they trail league leaders Liverpool by nine points having played a game more, and are currently struggling to keep their Champions League campaign afloat.

This is alien territory for Guardiola – and on their evidence there will be no quick fix to navigate a route out of the current crisis.

Match

Details

15 December 2024 16:30 GMT	Manchester City	1–2	Manchester United	Etihad Stadium, Manchester Referee: Anthony Taylor
	Gvardiol  36'	HT:1–0 Report	Fernandes  88' (pen.) Diallo  90'

Manchester City

Manchester United

31 Ederson 02 Kyle Walker 40' 03 Rúben Dias 24 Joško Gvardiol 27 Matheus Nunes 19 İlkay Gündoğan 89' 20 Bernardo Silva 17 Kevin De Bruyne 68' 47 Phil Foden 11 Jérémy Doku 77' 09 Erling Haaland Substitutes: 05 John Stones 08 Mateo Kovačić 68' 10 Jack Grealish 77' 18 Stefan Ortega 26 Savinho 89' 66 Jahmai Simpson-Pusey 67 Divin Mubama 75 Nico O'Reilly 87 James McAtee Manager: Pep Guardiola

24 André Onana 04 Matthijs de Ligt 79' 05 Harry Maguire 06 Lisandro Martínez 03 Noussair Mazraoui 78' 08 Bruno Fernandes 25 Manuel Ugarte 20 Diogo Dalot 16 Amad Diallo 90+1' 09 Rasmus Højlund 78' 40' 07 Mason Mount 14' Substitutes: 01 Altay Bayındır 02 Victor Lindelöf 90+1' 11 Joshua Zirkzee 78' 12 Tyrell Malacia 14 Christian Eriksen 15 Leny Yoro 79' 18 Casemiro 21 Antony 78' 37 Kobbie Mainoo 14' Manager: Rúben Amorim

Man of the Match: Amad Diallo Assistant referees: Gary Beswick Adam Nunn Fourth official: Tim Robinson VAR: Stuart Attwell Assistant VAR: Simon Bennett

Match rules 90 minutes, no extra time or penalties. Three points awarded to winner, none to loser. One point awarded to each in the event of a draw. Nine named substitutes Maximum of five substitutions

Match Stats

Manchester City	Manchester United

Possession ball
51%	49%

Shots
10	10

Shots on target
3	3

Corners
8	2

Fouls
5	14

See also

• 2024–25 Premier League: Match day 16

External links

• Match report at BBC.co.uk
• Match report at Premier League.com