Chicharito sets sights on City

Rooney9 SG

Phil Jones would love to feature in Sunday’s Manchester derby, but more importantly wants to see a win for the Reds…

“I’ve played in the Blackburn/Burnley derby and that was pretty intense, but I would imagine Sunday’s Manchester one will top that one.

"All the papers are hyping it up. That’s natural – it’s a derby. It’s massive to both clubs and it means a lot to the fans and we hope we can get one over on them and make our fans happy. At the same time though we’re just treating it as another game.

"I think all areas of the pitch are going to be key on Sunday and we need to concentrate and focus on every part. I’ll be delighted if I’m involved and I’d be happy to play wherever the manager wants me to.

"I’m delighted with how things have gone for me since I joined. I’ve always believed in my ability. If I didn’t I wouldn’t be here now. I don’t think I’ve surprised myself in terms of how well things have gone, but I’m surprised at how quickly I’ve managed to play a certain amount of games.

"Whether I play or not on Sunday the most important thing is we win. City have had a lot of money to spend and have bought some quality players in, but if we concentrate on what we’re good at I’m sure we’ll get the three points.”

Rooney9 SG

United's fans will be uppermost in the mind of Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez on Sunday when he strives to break his derby duck.

The Mexican striker scored his second career goal against Liverpool last weekend and he has also netted in three separate clashes with Chelsea, but a goal against Manchester City remains elusive after two attempts last term. He knows a first notch against the local rivals would be greatly valued by the Reds faithful, especially if it contributed to a victory over the current league leaders.

"Our main motivation to win this game is not because it’s a derby, but because it’s worth three points," Chicharito told United Review.

"A win would take us back ahead of City and help us in our fight to win another league title. Obviously we know it’s a very important game for our fans as well, and we hope they can walk away from the match happy.

"Here in Manchester it means everything to the people. For the fans inside the stadium it is definitely the biggest derby in the world. If I’m honest, I don’t think people in Mexico, for example, would see it that way because they have their own rivalries. But the Manchester derby is definitely getting bigger every year. It’s a massive game."