NO MARGIN FOR HERRE!

Ander says derby is winner takes all

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ANDER HERRERA admits Manchester United cannot afford to lose Thursday’s derby showdown.

United’s Spanish midfielder says the clash at Manchester City is going to be the Premier League’s game of the season. Victory for United would take them above their bitter rivals into the fourth and final Champions League spot. Should Pep Guardiola’s men come out on top, Herrera insists that a four-point cushion for City would make it all but impossible for United to overtake them. Herrera said: “It is going to be the game of the season. “If we win, we have the chance to finish in the top four. If they win, it is going to be very difficult.

Marked

“It is the game of the season. Probably make or break. If one of us wins, we are not going to lose a lot of games, or make mistakes, after that. It’s us or them.

‘‘It is a massive game. We respect them but we are doing a lot of good things and we have to show it on Thursday.”

The former Athletic Bilbao star has been in scintillating form over the second half of the season – most notably in the recent 2-0 home win over Chelsea when he scored and marked Eden Hazard out of the game.

But Herrera, 27, does not want to dwell on one single performance and is more interested in winning trophies and making up for his Europa League Final defeat to Atletico Madrid in 2012.

He said: “Hazard, for me, has been the best player of the season so far. It was not a very easy job but I think I did it right.

“I know everyone is talking about it but I want to forget it. Today I want to think about winning, hopefully on Thursday and then we have the Europa League.

“It is a competition that makes me very excited because I lost the final and I want to take that knife from my back.

“So hopefully we can fight for the that title as well. But I know Celta Vigo, they will be very difficult to beat in the semi-final.”