Pep Guardiola says Manchester City will face the “best” Manchester United team of the season in Sunday’s derby as they prepare to go head-to-head for the fourth time this season.

The 3-0 win over Derby in the FA Cup on Thursday made it nine matches unbeaten across all competitions and 22 goals scored for United, although City are also in top form after five straight wins.

City boss Guardiola said Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was having a positive influence on his team.

“From what I’ve seen in videos of their games, the players follow him (Solskjaer),” he told his pre-match press conference.

“I saw the commitment they had and it’s getting better. Now it is their best moment of the season.”

United’s upturn has coincided with the arrival of Bruno Fernandes for an initial £47 million ($61 million) from Sporting Lisbon.

The Portugal international has made and scored goals and he has had a galvanising effect at the club.

“Sometimes the big players can make a good influence,” said Guardiola. “He is an exceptional player and that is why Man United bought him.”

All three derbies so far this season have been won by the away side, with United twice victorious at the Etihad and City winning 3-1 at Old Trafford in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final.

But Guardiola has won all three of his league derbies at Old Trafford.

United were described by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp as defensive earlier in the season but that is not a view shared by the City boss.

“It doesn’t look like that from what I have seen,” he said. “I watched their recent games and they were incredibly aggressive and that will happen at Old Trafford.

“In some games they defended but I watched them at Goodison and they played a good game (the 1-1 draw at Everton last Sunday).”

The title has effectively gone for City, with Liverpool needing just four wins to wrap up the Premier League, while United, in fifth place, are embroiled in a battle for a Champions League spot.

Second-placed City are 15 points ahead of their cross-city rivals but Guardiola is not buying the theory that Sunday’s meeting matters more to United.

“When we believe it’s more important for them, we are going to lose,” he said.

“We have to have belief, that is so important. I’ve never played a game thinking about points or whether it is more or less comfortable. Every game we play, we try to win.”

Guardiola is hopeful that Kevin De Bruyne will be available to play at Old Trafford.

The Belgian injured his back in the League Cup final win over Aston Villa last week and did not feature in the FA Cup win at Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Fernandes can cement his status as Manchester United’s new talisman when the Portugal midfielder gets his first taste of the derby rivalry with City.

Fernandes has made a flying start with United following his January move from Sporting Lisbon for an initial £47 million ($61 million).

The 25-year-old has scored three goals and provided two assists in his seven appearances, helping Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team extend their unbeaten run to nine games in all competitions.

Since the Alex Ferguson era ended in 2013, United have struggled to find players with the personality and presence to cope with the pressure of trying to emulate those golden days.

But the influential Fernandes already appears a perfect fit.

He has shown no signs of being intimidated by the task of becoming United’s leading man.

Said to be a vocal presence in training sessions, Fernandes displayed his leadership qualities with several animated discussions with Diogo Dalot, Scott McTominay and Fred during Thursday’s FA Cup fifth-round win at Derby.

“I like to see that in a player, he doesn’t change coming into a new team. He’s the same as he was at Sporting,” Solskjaer said.

“That’s a boy with confidence, with quality, good form and that’s his personality. Everyone should be themselves. He’s come in as a leader and he’s shown he’s a leader.”

Agence France-Presse