EPL: Manchester City boss downplays importance of Manchester derby

Pep Guardiola claims Manchester City's league position is irrelevant heading into tonight's derby at Old Trafford. City have an eight-point lead over arch-rivals Manchester United ahead of this weekend's eagerly-anticipated encounter. But City boss Guardiola says it is too early in the season for that to influence his gameplan.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola

Guardiola said: "Winning, drawing or losing on Sunday, we are not going to win or lose the Premier League. It's December. "It's an important game because it's United - you can get points and deny your opponent points and it's the same for them.

We just focus on what we have to do to make a good performance and try to win the game. That is all I am concerned about. I am not going into the game thinking, 'OK, we have an eight-point lead, what do I have to do because we have an eight-point lead?'."

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