City boss Manuel Pellegrini makes his Manchester derby debut on Sunday in a confident mood following an impressive 3-0 win in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of the game, which will also see David Moyes take charge of United for his first all-Manchester clash, Pellegrini stressed he knew all about the fixture and its importance for the season ahead.
He said: “I don’t need to be here to know just how important this game is to everyone. I’m well aware.
“It is a match of six points; these are two of the teams that will challenge. It’s very important to win it and we must win it.”
Pellegrini’s side have made an unconvincing start to life in the Premier League with poor away performances at newly promoted Cardiff and Stoke, combined with an underwhelming win at home against Hull.
A bad result at the weekend could heighten the pressure on Pellegrini, who was brought in over the summer to replace Roberto Mancini, after the Italian failed to deliver a trophy last season.
Talking about the cross-city rivals, Pellegrini said: “It’s not my duty to analyse Manchester United. David Moyes is a very good manager but I don’t want to analyse Manchester United.”
The manager has some welcome news after the midweek return of Vincent Kompany. Pellegrini said: “Vincent Kompany has worked normally the whole week and has no problem for this weekend.”
David Silva, Gael Clichy and Micah Richards have also returned to training.
Club captain Kompany has also talked up the importance of the contest
He said: “It is a special game. It is becoming one of the most sought-after fixtures in the world and it is always great to be involved in such game. I never take them for granted.”
The central defender is excited about the prospect of facing off once again with Wayne Rooney.
When asked if he hoped Rooney’s form would dip in the derby, he replied: “No, it’s brilliant. You want to play against top players at their best. That’s how I feel about it. I always want to play against players when they are at their best.”
Image courtesy of MCFCTV via YouTube, with thanks.
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