As Manchester City prepare to welcome their fierce cross-city rivals Manchester United to the Etihad on Sunday afternoon, Pep Guardiola told reporters in his pre-match press conference that he is expecting the best from the visitors.
The Cityzens currently sit second in the table, but remain well and truly in the title fight – with just one point separating them from top-of-the-table Liverpool. Manchester United, on the other hand, find themselves sitting in sixth place, eight points away from the final UEFA Champions League spot.
‘I expect the best from our opponents, always,’ said Guardiola. ‘The best performance of them is always what I expect.’
‘I have a lot of respect for the institution, United, of course Erik [ten Hag] and the players. But when I see what they must do, my players will know it today and tomorrow.’
The Red Devils have had a consistent run of form since the start of this year, with their only loss in 2024 coming against Fulham last weekend. Despite that defeat, Guardiola certainly doesn’t underestimate what the other side of Manchester will bring to the table on Sunday.
Embed from Getty Images‘I relax and prepare for the game as best as possible, knowing the quality. I know how difficult it is in the Premier League to beat them,’ he admitted.
‘They create something special in set-pieces, in transitions, open plays, connections between players and they score goals. They’ve always been United in that way.’
‘We must prepare for the game tactically; we must try and get three points and continue being up there on the table,’ Guardiola emphasised, adding that ‘when they play well, they win games. When they play okay, they have no stress and can win games.’
With a tough period of games coming up for the Cityzens, Guardiola expanded on just how vital every player is for Manchester City
‘We are a team, and the key players are everyone, every individual is so important. We worked so hard to live these kinds of moments. But one step at a time, we try to do our best.’
Despite City showing true dominance in the Premier League for over half a decade, Guardiola understands more than anyone that the club’s successes go far beyond his tenure in East Manchester.
‘I’ve not done it alone,‘ he explained. ‘This kind of success for a long time does not depend on the manager. If the people believe it’s just me, they are making a mistake, and if our opponents can believe that they are making a mistake, they are wrong.’
‘It’s the hierarchy, stability in decisions for the CEO, the BCCO, support directors, the players and all the people working in the club.’
Manchester City host Manchester United on Sunday, 3 March – kickoff is scheduled for 15:30 GMT.