Manchester United are preparing to host arch-rivals and noisy neighbours Manchester City at Old Trafford for this weekend’s latest round of Premier League fixtures.
Coming into the fierce contest, United are in great form and are arguably the better of the two sides, and that is not something many supporters would have felt in seasons gone by.
Looking to move one point behind Pep Guardiola’s Citizens in the table, Erik Ten Hag will know that a home win today will see his side cement their place as genuine title contenders.
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Speaking ahead of the game, rival manager Guardiola has echoed the confidence that United may be feeling and suggested Ten Hag has turned the club’s fortunes around.
“I think [against] United, you have to play every game at your best,” Guardiola told BT Sport.
Going on to explain the improvements the Red Devils have made, the Spaniard said: “The patterns are better, a good run of results. You see an active team, not just reactive [and] waiting. Transition or something, like always, United have been in transition team but they’re able to press high.
“They have a good build-up. It doesn’t matter [who plays], Lisandro [Martinez], Luke Shaw […] They have incredible assist players, good runners, so they’re a complete team, but since I arrived here in England, I would say we [City] were a little bit better than them, but always when I saw their squad, I saw their team, always I thought ‘wow, they’re good’, so I always had that feeling.
“[…] Sometimes you need time, sometimes you need something and I have a feeling that United, now, I think is back.”