When Manchester United next take to the pitch, at home to Crystal Palace on the Saturday after the coming international break, it will be the final Premier League fixture of a month that Jose Mourinho said would end with a reckoning.

Back in August, while reflecting on a summer of fudging and frustration at Old Trafford, Mourinho reiterated his belief that United were embarking on “a difficult season”.

Exactly how difficult would it be? That, he claimed, would only become clear in a few months’ time. “We have to wait until the end of November to understand if we can fight for the title.”

Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Ederson - 6 out of 10 Gave away the penalty that brought United back into the game. It was a poor choice from the goalkeeper but he wasn’t really troubled for the rest of the match. REUTERS Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Kyle Walker - 6 out of 10 Pushed high with the rest of City’s back line and gave them options in attack, from runs down the wing to long balls over the top. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings John Stones - 6 out of 10 Led the defence and pressed high up the pitch to give City options to pass the ball around and probe the gaps in United’s defence. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Aymeric Laporte - 6 out of 10 Was as happy to attack as he was to defend, he fed balls through to the front men easily and was solid when asked to defend. AFP/Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Benjamin Mendy - 6 out of 10 Offered City another dimension on the left wing, linking well with Bernardo Silva and Sterling. Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Bernardo Silva - 8 out of 10 With David Silva they controlled the game for City in the first half, he chased the ball and kept it in play to lead to the opening goal and set up Gundogan for the third. AFP/Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Fernandinho - 7 out of 10 Often forgotten in this quick, sharp, attacking Man City side but he provided a stable presence in the mid-field making challenges and interceptions to stop United’s attacks fully developing Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings David Silva - 9 out of 10 Scored the opener and caused the most problems for United. He combined with the whole front line to get the ball into the box and utilise the tight spaces on offer. Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Riyad Mahrez - 7 out of 10 Gave Luke Shaw a good battle on the right wing and won it in the first half. Making space for himself to cross the ball or cut inside and run with it. AFP/Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Sergio Aguero - 8 out of 10 Scored City’s second goal with a brilliant finish but the build up one-two with Mahrez was glorious. Action Images via Reuters Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Raheem Sterling - 7 out of 10 Offered pace and skill for Man City up front. He moved out wide and delivered a great ball into the box that led to the opening goal. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings David De Gea - 6 out of 10 Conceded three, saved more than that. United need a better back four or De Gea will be gone come summer. AP Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Ashley Young - 6 out of 10 Like every United player he started slowly and left gaps in behind him that Sterling found, but he got into the game and offered United a more attacking presence on the right. Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Chris Smalling - 6 out of 10 Had the chance to level things in the first half but didn’t really catch his header. Found it hard to nullify the threat of the Silvas. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Victor Lindelof - 6 out of 10 Found it tough going in the first half but came into his own in the second 45 minutes and stopped Aguero on a few occasions. AP Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Luke Shaw - 6 out of 10 Probably came of worse when battling Mahrez, he gave away a free kick and was fully able to get forward due to City’s pace on the counter. REUTERS Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Ander Herrera -5 out of 10 Asked to mark David Silva in the first half and failed miserably. He lost the ball on multiple occasions but worked hard to recover. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Marouane Fellaini - 7 out of 10 Defended well. Attacked well. It’s a pity no-one else kept up with his standards. Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Nemanja Matic - 5 out of 10 Lacked creativity to send United forward in the first half and preferred to sit in and defend. He let Gundogan drift away from him and score the third goal that sealed United’s fate. Action Images via Reuters Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Jesse Lingard - 6 out of 10 With Rashford and Martial, Lingard gave United pace up front but the lack of creativity in mid-field meant that they weren’t utilised well. AFP/Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Marcus Rashford - 6 out of 10 Had a lacklustre game leading the line. He didn’t get as much of the ball as he needed and communication the between the front three wasn’t the best. Action Images via Reuters Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Anthony Martial - 7 out of 10 Was quiet in the first half as he didn’t get much off the ball. Stepped up to the plate and sank the penalty to bring United back within one. PA

Two-and-a-half weeks remain until Mourinho’s self-imposed deadline, but if he still genuinely does not know whether United can mount a title challenge, he is surely the only one. Any lingering hopes of a serious tilt were lost in Sunday’s derby.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City opened up a 12-point gap on United with victory in real terms, but the gap in perceived quality between the two clubs has seldom seemed wider since the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008.

It is easily forgotten that when Mourinho and Guardiola arrived in Manchester, United and City had finished the previous campaign level on points, with only goal difference granting City a top-four finish ahead of their old rivals.

Two-and-a-half years on, United find themselves closer in the table to Neil Warnock’s Cardiff City than the defending champions, and perhaps not only in terms of points.

Pep Guardiola praises Man City's defence after derby win

While the rest of last season’s top six hope to catch City by aspiring towards their sublime style, Mourinho’s United define themselves against it by playing reactive football. It is a justifiable approach, one that has served Mourinho well in the past, but it must be executed correctly.

The most worrying aspect for Mourinho should be that his side bear few of the qualities that his previous success has been built on. Take, for example, the defence.

After 12 games, Mourinho’s side have conceded 21 goals. It is the first time United have conceded more than 20 in their opening 12 games of a top-flight season since 1966. Mourinho, meanwhile, has only conceded more than 20 after 12 once in his career since taking charge of Porto. The year in question, he was out of work by Christmas.

United were disappointing in defeat to City (Getty)

There is also the curious fact that United, eighth in the table after Sunday’s defeat, are the only team in the top half of the Premier League to have a negative goal difference – a product of following narrow and nervy victories with wide and deserved defeats.

This is uncharted territory for Mourinho, who has never had a negative goal difference after 12 league games. The 20 goals scored is one of his lowest career totals too and in keeping with tallies from recent difficult seasons.

The statisticians can go on. This is the first time United have lost four of their opening 12 games in the Premier League era. Mourinho’s side have conceded 154 shots, the same number as second-bottom Huddersfield Town. Huddersfield, meanwhile, have two clean sheets to United’s one. Only basement club Fulham have fewer.

In something of a pre-emptive strike, Mourinho dismissed the idea that United’s derby defeat – and by extension, their underwhelming season – could be explained through numbers. “People who don’t understand football analyse it with stats,” he said. “I don’t go for stats. I go for what I felt in the game.”

Ignore the statistics, then, and ignore the fact this is a manager who has twice read from a sheet of pre-prepared figures to defend his points at press conferences this year. Go instead, like Mourinho, for how United’s season “feels”.

Does it feel like United were right to largely keep faith in last season’s squad? Does it feel like the few signings that were made have contributed much? Ultimately, does it feel like United are capable of mounting a title challenge?