Bruno Fernandes shakes off Man City claim despite huge win ahead of Manchester Derby

Ruben Amorim will get his first taste of the Manchester derby this weekend (John Walton/PA) (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes downplayed the significance of Manchester City's recent struggles ahead of their derby showdown, insisting that United must concentrate on resolving their own issues rather than getting distracted by City's dip in form.

Old Trafford will be watching eagerly as new recruit Ruben Amorim makes his debut in the fierce local rivalry, carrying with him the momentum of a remarkable 4-1 victory over City during his time with Sporting Lisbon – one of the seven losses Guardiola's men have faced amid a stretch of only one win in ten matches.

However, Fernandes is clear about prioritising his team's performance, stating: "It doesn’t change anything for us, how they are in this moment, because we have to think about ourselves."

The Portuguese maestro underscored the importance of the derby and dismissed the notion of playing City at an opportune time: "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. "

He stresses the need for self-focus above all: "But 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."

Bruno Fernandes is not concerned with how their opponents are doing in the Premier League (Bradley Collyer/PA) (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

With United's ambition to climb the league standings, the midfielder made it clear that the opponent's identity is irrelevant: "We just have to think about ourselves and do the job we have to do to get in better positions and we need points in the league, so it doesn’t matter who we play against."

Fernandes expressed knowledge of the Derby's significance and vowed readiness: "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."

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Buoyed by a rousing 2-1 Europa League comeback against Viktoria Plzen, Manchester United are setting their sights on a monumental victory at the Etihad, with Rasmus Hojlund's impactful performance off the bench echoing Manager Ruben Amorim's tactical nous.

Despite the triumph in the Czech Republic, a substantial improvement is needed for United to replicate their 2021 success on City grounds.

Playmaker Bruno Fernandes emphasised determination over past outcomes, stating: "It’s not to get the results at the Etihad, it is to try to win games," and reiterating United's resolve by saying, "That’s what we want to improve."

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Fernandes underlined the egalitarian challenge posed by any opponent: "Obviously we play City and we want to win the game and it doesn’t matter if it was another game, we will try to win in the same way. We know, as I said, they have great players."

The midfielder dismissed any added significance of a derby win: "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."

Fernandes highlighted the match as an opportunity for a pivotal three points while striving to propel United from their current 13th position in the Premier League table. This comes after two consecutive top-flight defeats, including the 2-0 loss at Arsenal and the 3-2 home upset by Nottingham Forest.

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To cap it off, Fernandes remarked on the power of positive results to reflect a team's progression: "You always make progress and then you can watch that on the results."

He then stressed the importance of tangible achievements: "Obviously we want to get results and I think for the outside world, the results are the ones that show that if you improve or not."

"But we have to think about what we want to do as a team, what we want to have as a system, the impact that we want to have in games, the way we want to play, and that has to be the main thing in our minds and obviously you play for a club that has to win every game."

Bruno Fernandes shakes off Man City claim despite huge win ahead of Manchester Derby

Bruno Fernandes shakes off Man City claim despite huge win ahead of Manchester Derby

Bruno Fernandes shakes off Man City claim despite huge win ahead of Manchester Derby

Bruno Fernandes shakes off Man City claim despite huge win ahead of Manchester Derby

Bruno Fernandes shakes off Man City claim despite huge win ahead of Manchester Derby