Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admits he is ‘surprised’ by his side’s dominance over bitter rivals Manchester United in the last few years.
The Premier League champions go into Sunday’s Manchester derby on a high, after beating Aston Villa to lift the Carabao Cup last weekend.
Guardiola has won six major trophies during his three-and-a-half-year tenure at the club, whilst United have notched just one FA Cup and Europa League title in that period.
Speaking before the derby, the Spaniard said: ‘I never expected to have this gap between us and United in these three or four years.
‘I’ve no doubt about the quality of United and I appreciate the manager [Ole Gunnar Solskjaer], he represents them in an exceptional way.
‘United are working to improve and get closer to the people above them but Manchester City wants to improve also and the distance is what it is.’
The 49-year-old coach has a 100 per cent record at Old Trafford, but City have already lost twice to their rivals this season.
The Red Devils have clawed their way back into the race for the top four after a poor start to the campaign.
Solskjaer admitted his side can put themselves in the driving seat for a Champions League spot if they get six points in their next two games, against City and Spurs.
The Norwegian is expecting a classic, saying: ‘They [Manchester City] will feel confident. They have hit form, they are playing well.
‘Let’s hope it will be a 4-3, like we have seen before. There have been many classics. We will do what we can to make it a classic.’
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