"Manchester is all about United, you don't see City shirts or flags" - Manchester United star makes cheeky claim ahead of Man City clash

Manchester United forward Facundo Pellistri has begun a war of words with his claim about Manchester City ahead of the Manchester Derby this weekend.

The youngster revealed that the city of Manchester only belongs to the Red Devils, as Manchester City fans are almost nonexistent in the city.

Coming off the back of three wins in a row, Manchester United will face a huge test of their quality when they take on Manchester City. The Citizens have lost two of their last three league matches but won their last two games since the international break.

Uruguay international Pellistri was speaking to Uruguayan journalist Martin Charquero about a range of topics in an interview. The 21-year-old revealed that he did not often see Manchester City shirts or flags in the city, with his side being the dominant club in the city.

Pellestri said:

“Manchester is all about United. You don't see City shirts or flags. Sometimes, with my girlfriend, we go out and say let's try to find one and we don't see them.”

Pellistri echoes a common sentiment in Manchester, one that was shared by legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who described City as their "noisy neighbors.".

This was over a decade ago, and the Citizens have since become Europe's best side, but still do not boast of a fanbase like the Red Devils'.

Pep Guardiola's side are fighting to remain among the league's top sides and have already dropped more points than they would like this season.

They are currently two points off Tottenham Hotspur in the league's top spot and will be keen to make Pellistri eat his words.

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Manchester United will face a tough task in the Manchester Derby

Many years ago, Manchester United entered every Manchester Derby with the question of not if they would win, but by what margin. Over the last decade, however, the tide has shifted in favor of the blue side of the city.

Manchester City thrashed their city rivals in their first meeting last season, with Erling Haaland and Phil Foden scoring hat-tricks.

Their second meeting saw the Red Devils claim a controversial win, but Guardiola's side rectified that error in the FA Cup final.

In terms of this season, Manchester United look like a side at risk of getting swept away by the champions in their derby clash. Despite recording three successive wins, the Red Devils have looked very unconvincing in these games.

It is said that in derbies, the form book gets thrown out the window. Erik ten Hag will hope that his side pull off an improbable win against their not-so-noisy neighbors.