Pep Guardiola tipped to face sack pressure if Man City beaten by Man United
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Credit: Imago
Harri Burton
Wed 3 September 2025 13:20, UK
Pep Guardiola could be staring down more than just the barrel of defeat if his Man City team are to lose to their direct rivals after the international break.
Football Insider understands that Ruben Amorim is currently safe at Man United after bouncing back from the embarrassing Carabao Cup loss to Grimsby Town when facing Burnley on Saturday, 30 August.
Despite a slow start to the 2025/26 campaign for the Red Devils, they still sit above Man City in the Premier League table, with Guardiola’s side facing a surprise defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
Man City fans singled out Matheus Nunes for an awful performance against the Seagulls, but having taken the lead through Erling Haaland, there was no excuse for the setback away from home.
Now, with a two-week break between the defeat and the Manchester derby on Sunday, 14 September, questions have been raised over Guardiola’s future at the Etihad Stadium.
Looking ahead to the huge clash at the Etihad, Jason Cundy and Jamie O’Hara discussed the possibility of the Man City boss being sacked if he cannot avoid defeat against United.
“If United beat City, you watch the spotlight turn on City.
Do you remember when they lost six on the spin?”
“They were terrible, but eventually, they managed to get a footing in the league, made a couple of signings in January, with Marmoush making an impact, with a couple of others coming back from injury.
“If they go through a similar run, questions will be asked.
You expect them to challenge [for Premier League title], and to win it, they’ll go close.
If they don’t, the pressure will be on.”
Supporters expected an immediate turnaround under the Catalan, with all of his stars gelling together during a stunning 4-0 win over Wolves in their opening game of the Premier League season.
It has all been downhill since that game, however, with Tottenham proving to still be Guardiola’s bogey team, and Brighton very much doing the same in the latest defeat.
Man City are currently sitting 13th in the Premier League table heading into the international break, below the likes of Crystal Palace, Man United, Brighton, and newly promoted Leeds United.
Credit: Hasan Karim – Breaking Media
The last time Guardiola suffered three league defeats in a row was November 2024, losing to Bournemouth, Brighton, and Spurs, with a 4-1 loss to Sporting CP thrown in the middle.
New signings have been aplenty at the Etihad Stadium, so all signs point towards a change being needed in the manager’s tactics, but that is highly unlikely from Guardiola.
Something needs to change drastically, and many will believe that City will wipe the floor with their bitter rivals in the next match, but the Catalan needs to be careful that fans do not aim their frustrations at him.