Guardiola wishes Paul Pogba was available for the Manchester derby from FootballCoin on Vimeo.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he would have preferred meeting the best version of United in the Manchester derby. Paul Pogba, United’s high-priced defensive midfielder, will be suspended after receiving a red card in the team’s last game against Arsenal.
It was a dangerous tackle that got Pogba sent out in the first place. The Frenchman later took to commenting that he hoped City would face injury concerns in preparation for the game against United. Guardiola addressed the comments but seemed to harbor no grudges. After all, no player would truthfully wish an injury on a fellow footballer, believes the manager.
The Manchester teams have seen the highest improvement since last season. Rivals such as Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham have all lost points unexpectedly. Unless something drastically changes in the weeks ahead, the EPL title will be a two-horse race.
Man. City motivated by another factor, namely the fact that should they win against United, they will set a new record for consecutive wins in the Premier League. The current record is 14, one they are tied with Chelsea and Arsenal’s famous “Invincibles” for.
Confidence is certainly very high, for Guardiola’s men especially. A victory against old rival Jose Mourinho, would not only be a big boost for the team’s morale but could also represent the decisive three-points in winning the Premier League trophy this season. Expect the two teams to send their best squads going into the game.