Manchester City and Pep Guardiola are expecting Manchester United to be at their best for Sunday’s Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium. City’s fierce rivals sit a disappointing 6th in the Premier League as the table stands currently. They are 8 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa in the battle for this season’s Champions League places.
But despite their position on the league table Manchester United will be determined to get a result at the Etihad on Sunday. If they could manage to either beat City or pick up a point it could potentially put a dent in Manchester City’s dream for a fourth consecutive Premier League title. It would also aid their pursuit of a Champions League place this season.
It’s against this backdrop that Pep Guardiola is expecting Manchester United to be at their best on Sunday. Having lost their last Premier League game to Fulham last weekend Erik ten Hag’s side will be determined to get a result in the derby this weekend. The City manager told the media he is preparing his side for the best of Manchester United. He explained: “Always I expect the best of our opponents. The best performance of them is what I expect. My players know what I expect. I don’t talk one word what the opponents do. I respect (them) too much. When I say comments, people say ‘Pep say this..’ Not my intention. Enormous respect for the institution and Erik (ten Hag).”
Manchester City are no doubt favourites for Sunday’s derby. Given that the world champions beat United 3-nil at Old Trafford earlier this season there does appear to be a gap in quality between the two teams. But derbies aren’t played on paper so City will need to be at their best to pick up a crucial three points on Sunday.
