Manchester United are enduring their worst-ever start to a Premier League season - Manchester City their worst since 2010. BBC Sport looks at five key areas before an unusual Manchester derby on Sunday.
If you're wondering why this weekend's Manchester derby feels a bit, well, different, it's probably because there is so little jeopardy riding on the result.
This is the first Premier League Manchester derby with neither team in the top three at the start of the day since a goalless draw at Old Trafford on 12 December 2020.United have lost five of their past six Premier League matches against Manchester City - conceding 18 goals in those five defeats. The only exception in that run was a 2-1 win at Old Trafford on 14 January 2023.
Despite the narrative around City's leaky defence, they have actually faced the fewest shots in the league. United's record here is strong too - only City, Liverpool and Aston Villa have faced fewer shots.At the other end, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, with six each, have scored 12 of City's past 13 goals in Premier League Manchester derbies. And only three other players have scored more - Sergio Aguero , Wayne Rooney and Eric Cantona .
"There was so much space on the opposite side next to Gundogan. When you play with one number six, 4-1-4-1, like City are playing, there is a lot of space on the left and right of the number six."As Glasner outlined, intensity, fast transitions, and targeting the number six - that is how to try to beat City at present - and United have the system to do it.
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