Pep Guardiola has insisted that Manchester United fans’ desire to see his Manchester City side beat Liverpool in the Premier League title race won’t influence Wednesday’s pivotal Manchester derby.
A win for City at Old Trafford would see them move above Liverpool at the top of the table and leave them in control of their destiny with three games remaining.
Any other result would put Liverpool in the ascendancy, a prospect that many United fans have said they find equally or more troublesome than their own team missing out in the race for a top-four finish.
“I understand the fans,” Guardiola said.
“When I think of Barcelona-Madrid, or the big rivalries, that is normal.
“But it’s the fans and the fans can express and show whatever they want, but the reality is the players. The fans don’t play, (they) help, but don’t play.
“The players, when they play they want to win, and they want to do a good performance.”
