"Pray for Yanited", "This is wickedness from City" - Manchester City fans react as Pep Guardiola names XI to face Manchester United
Manchester City fans are excited about their starting lineup to face Manchester United in arguably the biggest Premier League derby of the weekend on March 3. The Cityzens are widely expected to see off their local counterparts at the Etihad. They currently sit in second place on the Premier League table and are in strong form.
The last derby, which took place at Old Trafford, ended in a decisive 3-0 victory for Pep Guardiola's men. They demonstrated their dominance in that match, winning thanks in large part to goals from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland (2).
Both players are part of the starting lineup again. They have been joined by Ederson, Rodri, and Ruben Dias, all of whom will be looking to manage possession. Josko Gvardiol returned to the squad after an injury and is on the bench, while Kyle Walker is on the lineup.
Jack Grealish is the only major absence at this time, with the winger dealing with a groin problem. Julian Alvarez has been benched in favour of Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden in the attack.
Due to their excellent recent performances, Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne will pose a serious danger to Manchester United. De Bruyne had set up four goals for Haaland against Luton, who scored a remarkable five in the 6-2 win in the FA Cup fifth round in midweek.
Following Guardiola's selection, Manchester City supporters have expressed confidence and enthusiasm in their comments on social media. One fan wrote on X:
"Pray for Yanited"
Another added:
"This is wickedness from City"
Here is a selection of their posts:
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola points out Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes as main threat in derby
Pep Guardiola is focused on Bruno Fernandes as a serious danger in the Manchester derby. The Manchester City manager spoke to the press about the Manchester United captain, revealing his quality.
Guardiola said (via Daily Post):
“He is an exceptional player. Especially the consistency to play in every single game and every single competition. I admire him a lot for that. He is a guy who when he has the ball, something is going to happen."
The Manchester City manager continued:
"In set pieces, in connections with players up front with [Alejandro] Garnacho, with Rashford, all the strikers they have up there. What can I say, he is a important player.”
Bruno Fernandes recently proved his worth to the team by contributing significantly to Manchester United's FA Cup fifth-round triumph over Nottingham Forest. He set up Casemiro's last-minute winning goal at the City Ground to put them through to the next round.