Manchester City 2/1 to do double over rivals United

Liam Williams Updated: 12 Dec 24 10:59

Manchester City are 2/1 to do the double over Manchester United for the second consecutive season ahead of Sunday's Manchester derby.

Manchester City points v Manchester United in 2024/25

Points	Odds
0	16/1
1	15/2
2	14/1
3	5/2
4	5/2
6	2/1

Of course, Pep Guardiola won't be looking any further ahead than the very next game, such are his side's current woes, with City 4/7 to beat United on Sunday.

bet365's Sports and Trading expert Steve Freeth said: "It's not often City fans have the chance to back their side to beat United at home at bigger than 1/2 - with the exception of the 2017/18 meeting when they went off 4/5.

"But with a dismal run of form that's seen them lose seven of their last 10 matches, we've currently got Pep Guardiola's men chalked up at 4/7, and they could be closer to 4/5 than 1/2 come kick-off.

"Despite the gulf in class over recent years, the red half of the city have been able to turn it on a number of times against their noisy neighbours and they'll make the short trip full of confidence in what has turned out to be a winter of discontent for the Citizens."

Manchester City points v Manchester United in recent seasons

Season	Points v United
2023/24	6
2022/23	3
2021/22	6
2020/21	1
2019/20	0
2018/19	6

Both sides will likely look at Sunday’s meeting as a great opportunity to get one over their rivals; Manchester City are facing a United side very much in transition under Ruben Amorim; Manchester United are facing a City side who’ve looked as vulnerable as they have since Guardiola’s first season.

While City’s abysmal run of five consecutive losses and one win in 10 can’t simply be written off due to injuries, Pep Guardiola is starting to get his best players back.

Rodri may be out for the season, but Erling Haaland is being supplied by Kevin De Bruyne once again and Ruben Dias is back in defence.

Alarm bells were quietened by the 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest but a draw with Crystal Palace and the most recent defeat to Juventus has them ringing once more, and they'll be ringing louder still if City don’t take maximum points against a side whose only Premier League win since Amorim stepped into the dugout came against a hapless Everton side.

The Portuguese head coach is clearly still looking to settle on a best XI and continues to force square pegs into round holes; while he persists with his 3-4-2-1 formation without a left-footed wing-back, inconsistent results will follow.

Manchester United’s attacking players have been freed up by Amorim’s system with Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee, Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes combining for 10 goals in five games under Amorim, and considering City’s defensive woes, it wouldn’t be a shock to see United find the net, but assuming the United boss doesn’t compromise on his principles – which he’s shown no signs of doing – it’s hard to see the Red Devils getting the better of their rivals on Sunday.

Of course, Manchester United haven’t gone into a game at the Etihad as favourites for over a decade, and United’s dominance over their rivals is a distant memory. Nevertheless, the 20-time champions have pulled off a number of upsets over the years.

With City needing a win to claim the title against United in 2018, Jose Mourinho’s side came from 2-0 down at the break to win 3-2, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s upstarts twice went across Manchester to claim all three points.

A draw would be a good result for United, but strange things happen in derbies, and considering City’s recent form, an away win can’t be completely discounted. Should United leave the Etihad with all three points they’ll feel confident of doing only a second league double over their rivals since 2009/10.

Interestingly, despite the wins being rather evenly shared between the two sides over the last few years, there has just been one league drawn in the last 14 meetings between the two clubs, and a pair of draws this season is available at 14/1.