Pep Guardiola urges calm ahead of Manchester derby

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has emphasised the importance of maintaining composure and focusing on tactics rather than getting caught up in emotions ahead of the highly anticipated Manchester derby on Sunday.

City, currently second in the Premier League and unbeaten in their last 18 games, will face off against arch-rivals Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola’s side emerged victorious in the previous encounter with a 3-0 win at Old Trafford in October.

With Liverpool extending their lead at the top of the league with a dramatic 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest, City find themselves four points adrift. However, Guardiola remains steadfast in his approach, urging his players to concentrate on the game plan rather than succumb to emotional distractions.

“What I learn from my experience in these types of games is to be more calm, relax, don’t talk about many things,” Guardiola said.

“Just focus on tactics and what you have to do to beat them, not about emotions – because emotions will be there, without doubt.”

Reflecting on City’s recent success in the Premier League, Guardiola highlighted the difficulty of sustaining dominance in English football over an extended period. However, he expressed the club’s commitment to maintaining their competitive edge for years to come.

“The 80s was Liverpool, 90s United and now we have won seven Premier Leagues in the last 11 or 12 years,” said Pep Guardiola.

“But in 50 or 60 years there has never been one country where one team always dominates and controls everything. We will try in this organisation to extend this as much as possible for many years.

Meanwhile, United manager Erik ten Hag acknowledged the need to learn from successful opponents but emphasised the unique identity and DNA of Manchester United.

“You can always learn from successful opponents, and you have to do it if you want to go to high levels but, at the same time, we have to do it in a United way.

“This is a different club with a different environment, with a different DNA. But you pick up things that can be successful and you integrate it in your own model.”

Another big game, another BIG performance 🔋

🎥 @Fred08Oficial 🇧🇷#MUFC pic.twitter.com/Vvtnb227RB

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 11, 2020

The derby marks the first meeting since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s involvement with United, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the already intense rivalry.

The game kicks off on Sunday at 3:30 pm at the Etihad.