Pep Guardiola is expecting Manchester United to fly out of the traps at Old Trafford on Sunday – and suggested Manchester City are already preparing for their knockout fixtures later this month.
City can open an 18-point gap on their rivals with victory but Guardiola warned that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have started to hit their stride.
United are nine matches unbeaten, their most encouraging run of the season, and three points adrift of Chelsea in the final Champions League spot.
Pep Guardiola is expected Manchester United to be aggressive from the start on Sunday
Guardiola is mindful of the threats posed by United after the impact January signing Bruno Fernandes has made but wants the Premier League champions to treat the derby as a final ahead of knockout games against Real Madrid and Newcastle.