With the 2025/26 Premier League season on the horizon, Manchester City and Manchester United find themselves on different trajectories.
The blue half is reloading under Pep Guardiola, while the red half is rebuilding with renewed ambition to climb back into the upper echelon.
Read on as we analyse how this rivalry will shape up next season.
How they fared last season
A fifth straight Premier League title was always a massive ask of Manchester City, and the Cityzens made matters difficult for themselves with a relatively quiet summer transfer window.
Unsurprisingly, they struggled to deliver on the lofty expectations.
The 10-time English top-flight champions started well but soon began to wilt as their trusted generals, including Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, and Bernardo Silva, waned.
Rodri’s long-term injury also did not help. The Spaniard was a crucial cornerstone of their set-up, and his absence left them weaker in the engine room.
Guardiola could not find a solution to their rot, and at one point, they were in danger of missing out on the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2010.
They rallied to clinch their slot thanks to reinforcement in the January transfer window.
However, their rivals, Manchester United, hit a new rock bottom every week.
The final whistle of the season must have brought relief to the club faithful who regularly bought Manchester United tickets from Seatsnet.com after a catastrophically dire campaign.
Manchester United finished the 2024/25 Premier League campaign in 15th place and only managed to cross the 40-point threshold on the final day of the season.
Their horrendous start to the season forced them to sack Erik ten Hag after they missed the chance to send him packing at the end of last season. In came the promising Sporting CP gaffer Ruben Amorim.
Unfortunately, the Portuguese tactician failed to turn things around, winning only seven of his 27 Premier League matches (D6, L14).
Manchester United were dreadful, and a loss to 17th-place Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final only compounded their misery.
Preparations for the new season
Manchester City immediately recognised that they needed to refresh their squad and dipped into their deep coffers to sign Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Nico Gonzalez in January.
City have continued to reinforce this summer, signing Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, and Rayan Cherki as they aim to bounce back from their struggles. They still want a right-back and a winger.
Want to watch this new-look City team strut their stuff next season? Buy Manchester City tickets from the ever-reliable Seatsnet.com to see Guardiola’s side try to knock Liverpool off their perch.
Guardiola must be desperate to get his team back in the mix for the title.
The Spaniard has the tools he needs to secure another Premier League trophy. It will be hard to bet against him and his refurbished squad.
On the other side of town, United finished 42 points off eventual champions Liverpool and need to focus on fighting for a top-four slot. Despite the abysmal season, their rebuild has been much slower.
The Reds have brought in Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers and have eyes on Antoine Semenyo (AFC Bournemouth) and Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford).
They are also tracking strikers after Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee failed to deliver 10 Premier League goals between them.
Surprisingly, they have not considered how to plug the gaping hole in their midfield. Manchester United don’t have the legs to execute Amorim’s football. They need new top-level operators.
Fans will have to temper expectations. A dramatic leap will be almost impossible. The journey back to the top might be slow and arduous for the 20-time English top-flight champions.
Head to Head
As poor as United were last season, they still got the upper hand against their rivals, and Man City must be bordering on desperate to get revenge.
The Red Devils pulled off a smash-and-grab win over Man City at the Etihad Stadium in December. The Citizens led until the 88th minute before Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes struck.
Man City had dominated their recent league meetings, but United found a new level in the final moments to claim a shock victory.
They played out a drab 0-0 draw at Old Trafford. It was the first Manchester derby to end in a stalemate in five years, perfectly encapsulating the underwhelming season both teams had endured.
Man City will be eager to regain their supremacy in this fixture. Before that loss in December, they had claimed victory in five of their previous six meetings with Man United.
However, Manchester United must keep up this momentum. A win against their city rivals will be an excellent bonus as they look to repair their broken relationship with the fans after such a woeful season.
United have every reason to believe they can dominate City next term.
They have not lost to City in 90 minutes of football across their last four meetings in all competitions (City did win the Community Shield on penalties after their 1-1 draw).
Prediction for 2025/26
Manchester City are expected to bounce back and rejoin the title race, boasting a refreshed squad driven by Guardiola and his relentless hunger for success.
But their recent struggles against Manchester United hint at deeper cracks in this once-dominant rivalry.
United may be rebuilding, but under Amorim, who has beaten Guardiola twice and lost once in five meetings (D2), they have shown they can rise to the big occasion.
The Red Devils have gone four straight meetings without a 90-minute loss to City, flipping the script in key moments.
So, while City will almost certainly climb higher than last season, beating United might remain a hurdle.
With form, pride, and tactics at play, the Manchester rivalry could once again tilt red, even if the league title stays just out of reach.
