Man United suffered a defeat in the Manchester derby earlier this season and they will look to atone on Saturday afternoon.
Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United must have a ‘good team, co-operation and winning attitude’ to defeat Manchester City.
United have not won a Manchester derby since March 2021 and Ten Hag suffered a heavy 6-3 defeat in his first match against Pep Guardiola at the Etihad earlier this season.
Although City were superior in that encounter, they head into Saturday’s clash at Old Trafford after a shock loss against Southampton, whereas United go into the game off the back of eight straight wins in all competitions.
Arsenal have set the pace at the top of the Premier League table this season and the pressure is building on Guardiola’s reigning champions to avoid dropping points, which has brought optimism in M16 for a positive result in the derby.
Ten Hag is also hopeful of securing a positive result, but he warned his side must do three things to have a chance of winning.
“I think we can compete with every team but obviously Manchester City, when they’re at their best, they are hard opponents for everyone, but we have to play our best and then we have a chance,” Ten Hag told talkSPORT.
“If we do it, [play] like in City [in the 6-3 defeat], then you don’t have a chance. So it’s up to us to have a good team, the right co-operation, the right attitude on the pitch, especially if you talk about attitude. So a winning attitude.
“That is what we need on Saturday. It’s by standards [improved results]. By every day, living along high standards. It’s by the team, building a team. Nobody is bigger than the team, everybody has to contribute to the team.
“That’s not about 11 players but the whole squad. It’s the team around the team. All the staff – the medical staff, the performance staff, the coaches, the analysts. Everyone has one aim and they’re contributing to that and working hard for that with togetherness. When we keep this going, we can achieve a lot.”
