City are ready to click into De Gea
PEP’S MEN ARE PURRING AGAIN AS THEY PREPARE FOR UNITED CLASH
AFTER an unusually sloppy start to the season, Manchester City have hit their stride – at just the right time.
Ahead of Saturday evening’s derby at local rivals Manchester United, Pep Guardiola’s side have their swagger back and he believes they can get even better.
Four games undefeated in all competitions, four clean sheets, there is a familiar ominous look about City as they move their way up the Premier League with a game in hand.
“Yeah, we’re in a good moment right now, I would say,” said Guardiola (above right). “Four clean sheets, a lot of chances created, but I think we can be better.
“We’re better than one month ago, but that’s normal. Without preparation, without time, it’s normal what happened.
“What’s important is that we’re not far away from the top of the league and already qualified for the next round of the Champions League.
“Now we want to continue being there and focus on the Premier League.”
Defensively, City are far more solid now. Having shipped goals against Leicester, Leeds, Liverpool and Tottenham, Guardiola decided to get ruthless.
Out went Aymeric Laporte, in came former outcast John Stones – the message being if you are not performing, you are out, irrespective of supposed status.
“The games against Leicester, especially, and Liverpool and Tottenham, we made mistakes,” said Guardiola. “The central defenders cannot do it.
“In the last three or four games, we were so solid. We cannot give them mistakes.
“Today, Benjamin Mendy, Joao Cancelo, they didn’t make obvious mistakes – this is a step forward to be solid as a team.
“We can make a lot of effort and expend energy to try to play and be positive in football.
“Th e op p o n e n t s sometimes wait for a mistake to punish us, so we have to avoid it.
“If they want to beat us, they have to do something. In the last three or f o u r games, we were much better in department.” Having won their Champions League group, Wednesday’s home tie against Marseille is a dead rub b e r, allowing Guardiola to rest key players before Saturday.
Uni ted , in contrast, have to go to RB Leipzig tomorrow and avoid defeat to make the last
16, although Guardiola played down his side’s perceived advantage.
“I don’t know,” said the City boss. “Some - times we play with three days with no recovery, sometimes four. It’s a derby, we will focus and commit, and this means the players are not tired, completely the opposite.” Given his opposition to the Premier League ’s refusal to follow UEFA and allow five subs in this most challenging of seasons, Guardiola chose to make no changes, but explained his thinking.
He said: “I wanted the guys to play 90 minutes and most of them are not going to play on Wednesday.
“The guys who didn’t play today will play Wednesday. “After that, we will see the best selection for the next games.
“In the Champions League we’ve done the job but we have prestige to play for.
“It’s a serious game and we’ll respect the competition.” Raheem Sterling (left) set City on their way to victory, scoring from Kevin De Bruyne’s through ball.
The roles were reversed for City’s second, Sterling winning a penalty converted by De Bruyne, Fulham deserving credit for conceding no further goals.