- Bruno Fernandes says that Manchester United need to focus on their own issues
- Manchester City have lost seven of their last ten games in all competitions
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Bruno Fernandes has warned that Manchester United have to ignore Manchester City’s recent slump and focus on their own problems if they want to ‘hurt’ their neighbours even more in the 195th derby on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola’s struggling side have lost seven of their last 10 games and won just once as they prepare to face 13th-placed United at the Etihad.
But Fernandes insists United have to put City’s wretched form out of their minds and address problems of their own as Ruben Amorim’s team try to avoid a third Premier League defeat in a row.
‘It doesn’t change nothing for us, how they are in this moment, because we have to think about ourselves,’ said the United captain.
‘We know it’s City, a huge derby. We know what it means for the fans, and it means a lot for us too, so we just have to go to the game and win without thinking who we have ahead.
‘We all know that this is a huge game and they have huge players. They’re probably not winning as much as everyone would expect them to do.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes says his team must focus on their own issues
United take on CIty, with Pep Guardiola’s side having lost seven of their last ten games
Fernandes says United must think about themselves instead of City’s problems
‘But it doesn’t matter the momentum they are in. We have to think about ourselves, what we can do to hurt them to win the game, and that’s all.’
After United won the FA Cup by beating their neighbours at Wembley in May, City lifted the Community Shield in the summer on a penalty shoot-out following a 1-1 draw.
But Fernandes is adamant that United have to treat the derby the same as any other game, adding: ‘It’s not to get the result at the Etihad, it is to try to win games. That’s what we want to improve. Obviously we play City and we want to win the game. But it doesn’t matter if it was another game, we will try to win in the same way.
‘We have to focus on ourselves because we’re not being at the level we want to be also, so we can’t think about the momentum of the others.
‘We just have to think about ourselves and do the job we have to do to get in better positions. We need points in the league, so it doesn’t matter who we play against.’
