Man City vs Man Utd: Has Ruben Amorim's or Pep Guardiola's rebuild shown greater promise so far this Premier League season?

The winds of change are sweeping through Manchester.

Manchester City and Manchester United meet at the Etihad on Sunday as the validity of their respective rebuilds continues to be scrutinised.

For the first time in four seasons, the Premier League trophy is in a different home. Tasked with bringing back what has been City's on six of the last eight occasions is Pep Guardiola, but he is in uncomfortable territory.

United are all too familiar with the promise of a rebuild. Ruben Amorim represents the sixth permanent time of asking for a manager at the Old Trafford club to restore the glories of the past.

While for Guardiola, after nine years - his longest spell at a club - he navigates another reboot to restore more recent success, for the first time in his managerial career.

Still yet to provide proof that his footballing concepts can bear fruit, Amorim, on the other hand, must convince fans that a record low finish of 15th in the Premier League was a blip in his first full season at the helm.

Green shoots of positivity for Amorim's Man Utd

United have made an indifferent start to the new season. There was a sense of positivity despite defeat in the season opener to Arsenal. Old habits crept in as United gave away a lead at Fulham and Carabao Cup embarrassment at League Two Grimsby wearied both fans and Amorim himself of whether he could continue as the boss.

After the penalty shoot-out defeat at Grimsby, the Portuguese boss suggested "something had to change", implying that it could not be the players leaving the door open to speculation over his future. Days later, Amorim backtracked on his comments, putting them down to emotion, explaining, "sometimes I want to quit, sometimes I want to be here for 20 years".

That frustration perhaps could be borne out of the fact that United are doing the right things but are lacking the results and points to reflect their improvements. United have only scored one goal from open play this season, but the underlying numbers appear much more favourable for United.

It is very early on in the season, but Amorim's side have generated the most expected goals, have had the most shots and created the most chances in the Premier League so far this term, reflecting a freer, flowing attack.

United have also hit the post four times across their three opening fixtures as their new-look forward line attempts to improve on their return.

Incomings in the form of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have made for a more expressive United in forward areas, but there has also been a greater emphasis on a more direct style with United also leading the Premier League in long passes completed.

Signs of improvement extend to United's newly-found willingness to battle, a side of their game that has often been criticised. Only one side has bettered United this season when it comes to duels won and aerial duels won.

Amorim will be desperate for his side's promising numbers to translate into victories. United's win over Burnley before the break was a much-needed one but the Manchester derby offers further opportunity to reflect proof of concept.

Guardiola is the only current manager that Amorim has faced more than once in the Premier League while remaining undefeated.

Amorim beat Guardiola twice during the 2024/25 season, the first as he led Sporting to a 4-1 victory in the Champions League days before taking up his post at Old Trafford. Amad then sealed a late comeback win for Amorim at the Etihad last December. The Manchester derby ended goalless when the two last met in April.

City's blues drip into the new season

City's unprecedented dip in form last season pushed the club into uncharted territory. Their lowest points total under Guardiola in a trophyless campaign last term prompted a summer rebuild. But their woes have dripped into the new season with Guardiola making his worst start to a league campaign since 2008.

Kevin De Bruyne's departure signalled a new era at the Etihad. Summer signings James Trafford, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders added to January acquisitions of Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Omar Marmoush, among others to create a new-look City under a new director of football, Hugo Viana.

However, with just one win on the table in the Premier League so far, the 'new Man City' have made a stuttering start.

Changes to the technical staff appear to have had some impact. Former Liverpool assistant Pep Ljinders has joined Guardiola in the dugout alongside Kolo Toure. Lijnders, Jurgen Klopp's former right-hand man, was famed for his part in Liverpool's dynamic, high-octane approach.

Jamie Carragher, after City's resounding opening victory at Wolves, noted City's "rock-and-roll" approach, akin to Klopp's Liverpool.

"It felt like in the game, it's almost like a little bit of an obsession, certainly in the first half, about catching them offside," Carragher said on Monday Night Football.

"We always know Pep's team like to push up. We get all that, but that was something a little bit different. It just makes me think of the influence of Pep Lijnders in terms of the offside.

"When you think of Liverpool as well, keeping back to Pep Lijnders, the amount of counter-attacking goals that Liverpool team would score with [Sadio] Mane and [Mohammed] Salah, breaking forward. When I looked at the goal from Reinders in the game. It was fantastic.

"But one of the goals was what you'd think of as a counter-attack, not maybe a Pep Guardiola goal. They win it, and then they're off."

A change in approach has been evident. With Cherki now involved and the reintroduction of Oscar Bobb, there has been a slightly greater emphasis on individual flair, with City having completed the most take-ons of any side in the Premier League.

Despite Rodri returning to fitness, City appear to have struggled to control games, giving up their lead over Brighton and being blown away by Thomas Frank's rampant Tottenham. It is that perceived lack of control that will be bothering Guardiola the most ahead of the derby.

What could the result tell us?

United head into the derby above City for the first time in five years, but that does not remove the feeling of trepidation that surrounds Old Trafford at the moment.

The added context of key City absentees in the form of Marmoush and Cherki will offer confidence. As will Amorim's record against Guardiola and City's only win in their last four meetings, being the Community Shield shoot-out victory last season.

Derby games are the proverbial great leveller, but when both sides have been equally uninspiring in terms of results, it becomes a must-win for both managers that could be indicative of the validity of their rebuilds.