Manchester City will go to their nearby rivals on Sunday, and Pep Guardiola will be looking to build on his stellar record there.
Under Guardiola’s direction, the Blues have triumphed in four of the last six games played at the stadium, and he has won seven of the ten trips in all competitions. Even though Manchester United is coming into the game off the tail of a three-game winning run, City are still overwhelming favourites. Though the performances haven’t always matched the outcomes for United, that current run is superior than City’s.
Prior to Sunday’s derby, City may fall as low as sixth, contingent upon outcomes this weekend. Guardiola, meanwhile, is calm and doesn’t believe that the outcome at Old Trafford will significantly affect the champions’ standing at the end of the season.
“It’s not a match like the FA Cup final or the season’s final games that determine who wins the Premier League,” he said on Friday. There are still 87 points to be earned despite having just played nine games thus far. We must maintain our concentration.
Guardiola continued, “United has always been a tough opponent—it doesn’t matter the manager.” “The characteristics of the people they are, the venue, their personality, the momentum. They can score goals, we know the quality they have
To combat United’s threat, Guardiola may slightly adapt his tactical set-up this weekend, especially given the Red Devils’ pace on the break. The City boss also rested five players in midweek, which gives a hint of his plans for Sunday’s game.
Here’s the starting XI we think Guardiola will pick against United…