Ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated that his team’s opponents, Manchester United, “are always dangerous” and a “tough opponent” to play against.
For the first time since winning the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium in June by a score of 2-1, the Citizens are getting ready to face the Red Devils.
Five of the past seven games between the two teams have been victories for Guardiola’s team in all competitions since 2021. However, they were defeated in their most recent trip to Old Trafford, losing 2-1 in the Premier League.
Guardiola acknowledged that he has always loved his “special” trips to Old Trafford ahead of this weekend’s 191st Manchester derby, but he has cautioned his players to expect another challenging match.
It was always special when I was at Barcelona and Bayern Munich and I traveled to England to play at Old Trafford,” Guardiola stated at a news conference on Friday.
“It’s a unique location, and our fans have a particular place here. However, in the end, it’s only a football match; unlike an FA Cup final or a season-ending match that determines whether the Premier League is won or lost, we have only played nine games and have 87 points remaining. We must maintain our concentration.”
Guardiola continued, “[United] are always dangerous.” “The quality of the person, the character, and the momentum make the managers—of which I have seen a few—a formidable opponent no matter what.
“They are able to score goals even when they are not winning. Without a doubt, their excellence is known to us.”
Guardiola stated, “It’s OK,” in reference to the rivalry between the two teams. This rivalry is healthy. Every club honors every other club. In my eight seasons here, nothing major has gone wrong.
“We’ve had victories and defeats. The FA Cup final held particular significance as we advanced to the triple crown. Going to Istanbul with the goal of completing what we have done was really crucial.”
Man United, who are now eight points behind league leaders Tottenham Hotspur and six points behind Man City in second place, have had a challenging start to the 2018 Premier League season overall.
Guardiola has acknowledged that it is premature to talk who the front-runners are for the title at this early point in the campaign, but he still thinks Erik ten Hag’s team is “a contender” for the championship.
“It’s premature. The Catalan manager stated, “All the teams are present, and the teams behind can be present. “Many things happen when you play nine games. In February and March, we trailed by a few points before coming back to win.
triumph.
“I’m interested in seeing our mindset at Old Trafford on Sunday. We’ve already won a great deal; what matters isn’t whether we win now or not. That is not the point. I want to see that they are playing for these points with the proper mindset.
“When you look at the schedule, [Man] United is always a contender. When there are nine games remaining, ask me a question and I’ll find out whether they are contenders, but that won’t happen in late October.”
Man City and Man United both advance to Sunday’s match having triumphed in the Champions League over the week. On Wednesday, the Citizens defeated Young Boys 3-1 in Bern, while the Red Devils prevailed narrowly 1-0 at home against Copenhagen a day earlier