"They have been struggling a bit" - De Bruyne opens up on 'big history' of the rivalry between Manchester City and Manchester United
Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has acknowledged Manchester United's recent struggles but believes they still have several gamechangers.
The Cityzens host the Red Devils in a high-voltage Premier League fixture later tonight (March 6). City, who are top of the standings, will be favorites to win this match, especially with home support on their side.
However, United have plenty of quality players who could still make the difference. Speaking ahead of the match, De Bruyne told Manchester City's official website:
"I think they have been doing alright. Obviously, there is a period where you have to adapt as a team, but I think the quality they have as players was there from the beginning."
He added:
"I know they [Manchester United] have been struggling a bit, but we also know that on any other day they have a lot of players that can make a difference. It is going to be a hard game like we expect, but we will try to win it."
๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐คฉ
๐จ๐ป๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐ฅ
๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ช
This is the Manchester Derby! ๐ต๐ด
#ManCity https://t.co/jQ12ubyuQn
The Belgian also touched upon the history of the rivalry between Manchester City and Manchester United, stating:
"You are talking about a big history. City have grown so much, and the team are performing very, very good. We are one of the top teams in England now and part of that group. [United] have been struggling a little bit more than us but they are still a big team and have wonderful players."
Manchester United's visit to Manchester City will have major repercussions for both sides
Manchester City will take to the pitch at the Etihad Stadium knowing that their lead at the top of the Premier League is now down to just three points.
Liverpool picked up a hard-fought 1-0 win against West Ham United to cut the gap further after having trailed by 12 points at one stage.
West Ham's loss was bad news for the Cityzens, but excellent for Manchester United as the Hammers are one of the Red Devils' rivals for a top-four finish. Ralf Rangnick's side will now want to capitalize on the slip-up to take another step in the right direction.
๐ต ๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ด
#MUFC | #MCIMUN
The match promises to be a feisty affair and while the form guide favors Pep Guardiola's troops, United have a historical advantage. In fact, the Red Devils have won on each of their last two league visits to the Etihad.
However, it was City who came out victorious the last time these two sides met in the Premier League. An own-goal from Eric Bailly and a far-post finish by Bernardo Silva saw them pick up a 2-0 win at Old Trafford back in November 2021.