Guardiola’s defiant Manchester derby statement before "aggressive" Man Utd test

Pep Guardiola has dismissed the suggestion tomorrow's derby showdown means more to Manchester United .

Although City have no chance of catching runaway leaders Liverpool , their top-four status is assured, with Guardiola's side holding a 15-point lead over fifth-placed United.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side, meanwhile, are involved in a scrap with a host of other teams in the battle for fourth spot and fighting for every available point.

Against that backdrop, there is arguably more at stake tomorrow for United than City, but Guardiola said his side will come unstuck if they allow themselves to slip into that mindset.

“When we believe it’s more important for them, we're going to lose,” said Guardiola.

“We have to have belief that it’s more important to us. I’ve never played a game thinking about points or that the game is more or less comfortable.

“I never see the game schedule, just the game we try to play and the fact we try to win.

“I've said many times about the determination we’ve shown in these moments, the desire and commitment in every single game, not just for the last year.”

City are set to be without Kevin De Bruyne, who suffered a shoulder injury in the Carabao Cup final win over Aston Villa, and is unlikely to be risked ahead of the Champions League last 16 return leg against Real Madrid a week on Wednesday.

United's man of the moment is £46.6million January singing Bruno Fernandes, who was linked with a move to City before moving to Old Trafford.

But Guardiola said Fernandes, who has scored three goals in his last four games and has yet to be on the losing side with United, was never on his radar.

And Guardiola accused the agent of Fernandes, Miguel Pinho, of using City to drive up interest in the 25-year-old and help push through his move to United.

“I think he's an exceptional player, that's why United bought him,” said Guardiola.

“I said many times it looks like we're linked with a thousand million players every month.

“So I don’t know if the agent wants to create something to do that.

“But I don't think the club was in talks with his agent about this player, but they link this guy and a thousand million more [with us].”

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