Man City vs Manchester United LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Amad Diallo turns dramatic derby

City have conceded at least twice in seven of their last 11 Premier League games (W4 D3 L4), as many times as they had in their previous 62 in the competition.

Erling Haaland has nine goal involvements in just four Premier League appearances against Manchester United (6 goals, 3 assists). It’s already the most goal involvements any Manchester City player has against the Red Devils in the competition.

Phil Foden has scored six goals in his last four Premier League appearances against Manchester United. Only Sergio Agüero (8) has scored more Manchester derby goals for the Citizens in the competition than Foden (6, level with Erling Haaland).

In his pre-match press conference, Pep Guardiola said that for his players, “the less emotional you are the better”.

“In our jobs we always want to do our best and when that doesn’t happen you are more uncomfortable. That is not just the managers but there is bigger scrutiny for the team. I’m fine. When I have more thoughts, it is about what we can do and what I feel right now is how I felt in he last month. Nothing has changed.”

He added that City need “to shoot more and cut out the mistakes”, saying: “What I want is my players back.

“I would desperately love to compete with the squad we had at the beginning of the season. My regret is that we don’t we have these, not needing new ones.”

He added that despite the club’s positive financial results, it “doesn’t mean we have big, big resources to buy whatever we want, especially with how expensive the transfer market is”.

Explaining his decision to leave out Rashford and Garnacho, Amorim said: “Selection. We try to evaluate everything: training, performance, game performance, engagement with the team-mates, pushing the team-mates up. Everything is on the line when we analyse and try to choose the players, so that is my selection.

“I don’t want to send a message. It’s simply an evaluation, and they know it. The players are really, really smart. Everybody understands my decision. I have to choose.

“The context is difficult. We have to win games and we have a difficult situation. I pay attention to everything, the way you eat, the way you put on your clothes to go the game. Everything. I make my evaluation and then I have to decide. I have a lot of players to choose.”

Manchester City have won five of their last six Premier League games against Manchester United (L1), more than they had in their previous 13 (W4 D3 L6).

United have lost each of their last three Premier League away games against Man City, conceding 13 goals in the process. They last lost four consecutive league visits to the Citizens between 1952 and 1955.

The Red Devils have lost 20 Premier League games against Man City – only against Arsenal (21) have they lost more in the competition.

Ruben Amorim has explained why Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were dropped from his Manchester United squad to face Manchester City in the derby, with the Portuguese manager revealing it was not purely a footballing decision.

Rashford and Garnacho were surprise omissions from Amorim’s team to take on Pep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad, with both players having featured in the win at Viktoria Plzen on Thursday.

Amorim confirmed that neither player is injured, adding that both Rashford and Garnacho trained at Carrington on Sunday morning while the first-team prepared for the trip to the Etihad.

Manchester City have sounded out Paul Pogba about a potential move on his return to football in March. The player himself is understood to be reluctant to move back to Manchester, however, due to his experience there with local rivals United.

Pogba recently had a four-year ban for increased levels of testosteronereduced to 18 months, meaning he is eligible to play again in March. The situation saw the 31-year-old leave Juventus in November, meaning he is a free agent.

City have been assessing options in the midst of the most difficult season of Pep Guardiola‘s time so far, where injury and recruitment issues have left a thin squad exposed.

These two sides have met a total of 172 times, with the first meeting dating as far back as the 1890s. Overall, United have won 67 City have won 56, and 49 have ended as draws.

Last season, City won both meetings in the league (3-0 at Old Trafford and 3-1 at the Etihad), though they lost the FA Cup final to their rivals in the final match of the season.

In August, City won the Community Shield on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Pep Guardiola has a new appreciation for Manchester City’s dominance amid their current struggles and claimed he would walk away if he felt he had lost the team.

City host Manchester United in the derby at the Etihad on Sunday in the unfamiliar position of having lost seven of their last 10 games in all competitions.

Guardiola ended speculation about his future by signing a new two-year contract three weeks ago but that certainty has so far not helped City arrest their slide.

Perhaps the biggest news from the United camp is that neither Marcus Rashford or Alejandro Garnacho are in the matchday squad.

Ruben Amorim has made four changes to the side that beat Viktoria Plzen 2-1 in midweek, with Rasmus Hojlund starting up top ahead of Joshua Zirkzee.

In midfield, Casemiro has dropped out in favour of summer signing Manuel Ugarte, while at wing-back Tyrell Malacia is benched in favour of Harry Maguire, with Diogo Dalot presumably moving to left wing-back and Amad Diallo on the right.

In addition, Mason Mount has replaced Rashford, who is dropped.

Pep Guardiola has made two changes to the side that lost 2-0 to Juventus last time out.

Rico Lewis and Jack Grealish drop out, with Matheus Nunes and Phil Foden replacing them.

On paper, it seems that maybe Nunes will fill in at left-back if they are in a back four, with Doku and Bernardo on the wings and one of Foden and De Bruyne holding alongside Gundogan, perhaps.