FAITH IN QUAD
De Bruyne targeted a City clean sweep on day one
Kevin De Bruyne insists he set his sights on winning the Quadruple on the first day of the season.
The Manchester City star is still haunted by the near miss with immortality two seasons ago.
Pep Guardiola’s men landed an unprecedented domestic Treble in 2019 but were knocked out of the Champions League by Tottenham.
Now they are on the brink of a third title in four seasons, heading into today’s derby 14 points clear of local rivals United.
City are also in the Carabao Cup Final and the quarter-finals of the FA
Today, 4.30pm, Sky Sports Cup while they are on track to reach the last eight in Europe.
Belgian midfielder De Bruyne said: “When you start the season and people ask me what I want to win, I want to win everything.
“We were not far away two years ago, when we won three out of four, but it is a lot of games and the schedule is hectic. It is not easy and other teams are very good.”
City have won a record 21 games in a row in all competitions but boss Guardiola knows it only takes one off day for their Quad bid to collapse. He said: “In the cups, the Champions League, it can take one game and you are out.
“That has to be the warning, to be careful, to keep your feet on the grass and move forward.”
After plotting three successive wins over City last season, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes to come up with the perfect game plan again today.
But after three straight 0- 0 games, he knows his side need to give top scorer
Bruno Fernandes
(right) a hand if they are to extend their 21-game unbeaten away record.
Solskjaer said: “There are fine margins – and also some luck. We know we have to defend high and press at times, but also have to be really good at defending low as well. “To win a game against a top team, every player has to be spot on. We expect everyone to be a leader, everyone to take responsibility. “Of course it might be Bruno, but teams are trying to man-mark him at times because they try to stop your best player.
“That’s when someone else will have to step forward.”