The derby is upon us.
United are seeking to set a record of their own by notching up a 41st consecutive home match without defeat and City manager Pep Guardiola is wary of his old foe Jose Mourinho’s ability to roll with the punches.
“Until now we cannot complain in terms of results and especially the way we have played,” said Guardiola, who was the last away manager to win at Old Trafford in September last year.
“When you see in every game the statistics — not just the way we play — we are better in terms of potential goals, possession and chances conceded.
“But I think United are fantastic on that. When the statistics are good they win and when they are not good they are able to win 3-1 (against Arsenal) at the Emirates, one of the most difficult stadiums.
“They conceded 33 shots and they won 3-1. Few teams in the world are able to do that. That’s why you have to be careful. You can control, you can do many things good, but then they have the talent to do that.”
Home-grown midfielder Jesse Lingard, a central figure in United’s recent run, has plenty of respect for the talent in Guardiola’s ranks, but believes City can be harried out of their stride just like Arsenal were.
“When (Kevin) De Bruyne’s on the ball, he’s always got that eye for a killer pass that can put a player one-on-one with the keeper and Raheem Sterling’s been popping up with the late goals,” Lingard told the United match programme.
“It’s going to be full on for 90-plus minutes. We need to be on point until that whistle goes, so everyone needs to stay highly concentrated throughout.
“As long as we start the game well, like we did at Arsenal, I don’t see any reason why we can’t win.”
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