Pep demand to kick Reds while they are down

PEP GUARDIOLA says City will look to “punish” Manchester United by piling on derby agony to an already miserable week.

City face a United side still nursing bruises from their agonising Champions League exit in the Manchester derby.

And while Guardiola insisted his side will be expecting a backlash from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men his side can ramp up the pressure on the Reds’ under-fire manager.

“It will be difficult of course, like all the big clubs they y have top players up front. nt.

“But we’ll try to play our game, to control them as much as possible and, yes, to punish them.

“They know that we go o to Old Trafford to try to win the game, like we’ve always done. We know the quality they have.”

Guardiola has all but two players, Oleks Zinchenko and Eric Garcia, to choose from – but will not start striker Sergio Aguero (above) as he makes a cautious comeback from injury.

But he does welcome back several players who were able to rest as City completed their Champions League group with a stroll against Marseille, including

Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgium international warned against City taking things easy today insisting a United side stinging from crushing defeat to RB Leipzig could be a dangerous beast.

“I don’t think it is more important for them but we need to be careful because everything that has happened this week, it is a good game for them to change the switch,” said De Bruyne.

“They will want to show a different side to what happened in Leipzig and we need to be aware of that.th Both teams want to keep momentum from the last las few weeks.”

Guardiola has lost three t of the five match-ups with Solskjaer S including three th of the last four, praised pra the United boss, saying:saying “He’s an exceptional manager for how he has handled the team and how he represents United around the world.

“Ole and everyone knows it depends on results but I have a high opinion of his work at United.

“But I don’t have to give him support, he’s strong enough, he knows how it works in this job.

“When we win we are a genius and when we lose we have to be sacked. Same at United and all around the world.”