The 196th Manchester Derby will also be the last for the long Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne, who announced this week that he will leave the club at the end of the season.
De Bruyne will compete for the 22nd time in a city shirt against the club’s Crosstown rival in a Sunday collision at Manchester United’s Old Trafford. The match will also have European consequences for Cityzens (15-9-6, 51 points).
The 33-year-old Belgium has three goals and six assists against the Red Devils (10-13-7, 37 points) over the previous 21 fixtures, with seven of these goal insumptions coming in Premier League meetings.
That record speaks to a greater heritage as a basic part of the city’s growth to a titanium with English and European football. The midfielder played on six of the ten city sites that have won league titles in club history, 13 of its 25 major domestic awards including the FA Cup and League Cup, and its only UEFA Champions League winning team 2022-23.
“There is no doubt that he is one of the biggest for sure,” said manager Pep Guardiola Friday. “The consistency of important games and not important games, every three days is there all the time. There is no doubt.
“His assists, goals, vision in (the) last third is so difficult to replace.”
De Bruyne’s injury problems over the past two seasons are an important reason why the club seems to finally refrain from its four -year grip on the league title. City goes into the weekend in the fifth, all except mathematically eliminated from the title Chase, but only one point back by Chelsea for a top-four finish and another guaranteed Champions League Kaj.
Similarly, United have also set expectations this season and are still associated with 13th place, nowhere close to the relocation experience but far beyond the battle for Europe.
The red devils have almost no production from their forward. Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes leads the side with eight goals, and among strikers Ivorian Amad Diallo has been the most skilled with six goals and six assists.
And although manager Ruben Amorim has constructed some promising distances, including an undefeated league with four matches before Tuesday’s loss to Nottingham Forest, he would buy places with City in heartbeat.
“I think we have bigger problems than Manchester City,” Amorim said. “They had that run at that moment – but they improved. They can play in different ways, it is really hard to think about how they can meet us. They may have the best coach in the world. They have top players. But I’m so focused on my team.”
-Field level media
