Who is this early Christmas gift for?

Manchester City is going through the worst crisis in the coaching career of Pep Guardiola – who recently declared that Man City would be the last club he manages. Pep's team has only won 1 and lost 7 of their last 10 matches (in all competitions). Another loss would still only worsen the crisis. Conversely, a win would be a timely turnaround. People will say: even in the most difficult circumstances, Man City still beat MU in the derby. And that's the character of a strong team that knows how to win at the right time!

With Ruben Amorim's Manchester United, the story is similar, with the only difference being that MU is both considered the underdog and playing away from home. In any case, anything can happen in this match where Man City is considered the favorite. How can one make a purely professional prediction when Pep Guardiola's team is no longer the team it once was?

Seen as a savior, Amorim was given the red carpet treatment at Old Trafford, only to achieve the same number of points as the recently sacked manager Erik ten Hag in four matches. While it's true that Manchester United can't improve overnight, Amorim can bring them a crucial victory in a specific game to boost morale and confidence. If given the choice of opponent, Amorim couldn't possibly think of anyone else: "Bring the reigning champions, Manchester City, here!" How famous was Amorim when he led Sporting to a 4-1 victory over Manchester City in this season's Champions League?

Quà Giáng sinh sớm cho ai ?- Ảnh 1. — Manchester City's top scorer, Erling Haaland *(left),* is showing signs of a decline in form.

In terms of squad strength, both sides have injured players at this time, but Man City's disadvantage is greater because everyone believes that the absence of midfielder Rodri was the overarching reason for their defeat. Most of the injured players unavailable are defensive players (Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Rico Lewis of Man City; Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof of MU). Add to that the "play to win" mentality, and this derby could be an exciting goalfest. Yes, both sides must aim for victory to salvage… everything. Conversely, if they have to pay the price of a decisive victory with a defeat, what else do they have to lose?

Newcastle vs. Leicester is also a match worth watching, mainly because Ruud Van Nistelrooy is having a fairly successful start in charge of Leicester. Before Leicester, Van Nistelrooy also made an impression while managing Manchester United as interim manager.

In this round, league leaders Liverpool host Fulham at home. While Liverpool are surging ahead and Man City are unexpectedly struggling, another phenomenon is quietly developing in the Premier League: the quiet rise of Chelsea. Enzo Maresca's team has climbed to second place, just four points behind Liverpool (although they have played one more game). If Chelsea beat surprise package Brentford in this round, they could achieve something significant. That would be their seventh consecutive win (across all competitions). Chelsea's next opponents in the Premier League are Everton, Fulham, Ipswich, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, and Wolverhampton (four of these six teams are currently in the bottom six).