The teams have played 195 matches in all competitions; United winning 80, City 61

The Manchester derby has been a clash for titles in years gone by, or at least qualifying places for the Champions League.

This season, United are battling for pride, while City’s defence of their Premier League title is over.

A top four finish should be City’s for the taking but, for the fans of both teams, bragging rights are the priority in one of the world’s great cross-city rivalries.

Manchester United may have a grand vision to win the Premier League title in three years’ time, but manager Ruben Amorim said on Friday that the club may not be title contenders in the next couple of years unless major changes are made.

United are on course for their worst Premier League finish, with the club 13th in the standings after 30 games, and Amorim’s task does not get any easier with a derby against City.

Amid the dire run, the club’s ownership announced a plan to bring the title back to Old Trafford in three years to celebrate United’s 150th anniversary, but Amorim said a lot of work needs to be put into the squad to become genuine contenders.

“I understand, and I am not naive. I don’t want to think we need a lot of years to be competitive. I cannot think like that … I know that we are not going to be the biggest contender in the next year or two years,” Amorim told reporters.

“We are doing a lot of things. Sometimes, we changed players because they have had to learn how to adjust to our new standards … We have changed a lot of staff; we have changed things inside the club.

“I know that is going to take time. I will not say we need a lot of years … Next year is our goal. I am not saying we are going to win the title in the next year, I am not crazy. We are in a rush, we are suffering a lot to be better next year.”

Amorim said the club needs to bring in “one or two big players” but the Portuguese knows that in this day and age, with patience wearing thin among fans and club owners, time will not be on his side.

“The Premier League is so different. When everyone says [former United manager] Sir Alex Ferguson took three or four years to win something, it’s not possible nowadays,” he added.

“The pressure is completely different … No matter the context, we need to be there with the best teams. We will have to face a lot of adversity and big teams, more than in the past.”