Pep would obviously happily lose Manchester derby to win title

Dan Butterfield
Man City boss Pep Guardiola

Manchester City boss is ready for his sides clash with Ralf Rangnick’s Manchester United on Sunday, labelling the German as the ‘father of gegenpressing’.

City’s lead at the top of the Premier League table could be cut down to just three points when they kick off on Sunday, should Liverpool beat West Ham on Saturday evening.

Big Weekend: Manchester derby, Dele, Marsch, Brentford

The game will mark Rangnick’s first Manchester derby and Guardiola has revealed what has changed at United under the German since his appointment as interim boss in December.

“The difference from Rangnick is the pressing, Rangnick is a father of the gegenpressing in these positions. You see with Liverpool and Southampton and Jesse Marsch with Leeds, a little bit with Tuchel. Top clubs, five or six teams are playing this way.

“Important ones like Liverpool, United, Chelsea, Southampton, Leeds. The work he did in Germany is brilliant, a proper school of football. He came here and you start to see some patterns of what he wants to do.

City will be without two key defenders in Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake for the clash, Guardiola has revealed.

“Nathan and Ruben are not ready.”

The Spaniard was also asked if he would prepare for the fixture differently because it was a derby, but Guardiola played down the importance, claiming he would lose the game if it meant they would win the Premier League title.

“It’s a derby for our fans, we try to win the derby that helps us to win the league. Nothing changes. We know how good our opponent. You have to win most of your games. It’s not for the pleasure to win, win this game, previous seasons we lost.

“I’d sign right now to lose Sunday and win the Premier League. It’s not the Carabao Cup. It’s a game, we fight with energy on the pitch. I can see the table from United, how many points behind us.. I see they are so good.

“We play against teams who are six points behind, 25 points behind. It’s not a problem. In the Premier League we have been a lot of points ahead, we never expected it.

“I think Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] last season make an incredible campaign but we were exceptional. United upfront and in the middle, incredible energy, speed on decides. Central defenders experienced. I see this, I don’t see 19 points behind. I don’t care, we can win or lose.

“We work on the way we have to play, win the situations in every moment. Different manager last season but you start to see and realise what they do.

“So aggressive upfront, the moments they are intense, deep runners. They have qualities. You cannot say upfront they are not good deep runners, maybe the best after Liverpool and Chelsea. We know and have to control it.”

Manchester City Pep Guardiola

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