With only three games each played so far this season, it's one of the earliest derbies between the north west giants, and neither has really started the 2025/26 campaign off as well as they might like.
Ruben Amorim's under-fire side will begin the match ahead of their big rivals, though with just the one win and one draw so far, they find themselves down in ninth position.
Two defeats already for Pep Guardiola and his men means City are way down in 13th, and may be even lower down the table before the match kicks off.
In many respects, it might well see performances from teams that don't want to lose rather than them going for the win, and that's unlikely to make it an interesting spectacle for the supporters.
Supporters who might be hoping for the goals and excitement of previous editions of the derby.
September 2009: Man Utd 4-3 Man City
Former United striker, Mark Hughes, was outwitted by his former boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, in a game that had it all, including a Michael Owen winner in 'Fergie time.'
Carlos Tevez had swapped the red side of Manchester for the blue, adding another layer of intrigue to proceedings, and lighting the blue touch paper to an encounter where no quarter was asked or given by either side.
A proper derby battle ensued, and United just couldn't shake off City until Owen's late, late intervention.
Wayne Rooney opened the scoring for the hosts after two minutes before Gareth Barry equalised thanks to Tevez's persistence.
An almost identical brace of headers from Darren Fletcher were each cancelled out by superb Craig Bellamy strikes that silenced Old Trafford - including a last-minute equaliser that had Rio Ferdinand clutching at thin air.
With time already up Ryan Giggs picked out Owen in space, and his instinctive finish with his first chance of the match gave him his first goal at the Theatre of Dreams and United the win.
February 2011: Man Utd 2-1 Man City
The game that will always be remembered for that Wayne Rooney bicycle kick.
It was a match that wasn't much to write home about in truth, United pegged back after Nani's 41st-minute opener thanks to David Silva's lucky equaliser off Edin Dzeko's back.
As the teams continuously cancelled each other out the game was seemingly heading to an inevitable conclusion before Nani's cross was dispatched by Rooney with 12 minutes to go.
The vast majority of the 75,000 inside Old Trafford, including Sir Alex, completely lost their minds, and the win for the hosts meant City's sequence of just one win in 27 visits continued.
October 2011: Man Utd 1-6 Man City
Mario Balotelli's infamous 'Why always me?' moment is the defining one from a match which came only eight months after Rooney's blockbuster.
United's 'noisy neighbours' had well and truly arrived after this performance, which had home fans heading for the exit doors well before full-time.
Jonny Evans' sending-off early in the second-half after pulling back Balotelli only added to the home side's woes and the Italian striker, Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko with a brace and David Silva hit the Red Devils for six.
Unfortunately for Darren Fletcher, his brilliant goal for United has long been forgotten.
October 2022: Man City 6-3 Man Utd
11 years later and United were hit for six again, this time at the Etihad Stadium.
The highest-scoring Manchester derby ever was an annihilation for the Red Devils, in a game that saw both Erling Haaland and Phil Foden score hat-tricks.
Four-nil down at half-time, some United fans had already seen enough.
They would've missed Antony's 56th-minute riposte and a late brace from Anthony Martial, but in truth, it was probably the wisest decision on a day when nothing went right for the visitors.
May 2024: Man City 1 - 2 Man Utd
The second FA Cup final in succession to feature United and City, with an expectation that this one would go the same way as the first with Pep Guardiola's men victorious.
City had also beaten their arch rivals in both league games during the season, so perhaps complacency may have played a part in their tardiness on the day.
Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo's first-half strikes were enough for a famous win for under-fire Erik ten Hag, with Jeremy Doku's goal scant consolation for Guardiola and the City squad.
December 2024: Man City 1 - 2 Man United
In a season that anyone connected with Man United would probably rather forget about, there were one or two memorable moments.
Pressure was already on Ruben Amorim before this fixture, 10 days before Christmas, and his mood didn't alter when Josko Gvardiol put City ahead after 36 minutes.
With two minutes left, the visitors to the Etihad Stadium were still behind, but two moments of magic from Amad Diallo snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
Receiving the ball in the penalty area, he looked and then waited for Matheus Nunes to slam into him and earn a penalty that was dispatched with aplomb by Bruno Fernandes.
Right on full-time, a run into the box saw Amad control a long ball from Lisandro Martinez with one touch and then slide it home with the second to seal an unexpected but not undeserved victory.
Follow the Manchester derby LIVE on Sunday
