Manchester United’s battling Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini has told his team-mates to roll their sleeves up and expect an on-pitch battle when they face city rivals Manchester City on Sunday.
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The attacking midfielder has already shown that he doesn’t shy away from on-pitch duels and expects this weekend’s Manchester derby to be a similarly aggressive affair, especially with it taking place firmly in the middle of the business end of the season.
Quoted in The Express he said, “In England every game is like a derby, because it’s physical. In the derby you have to be more aggressive and more tough if you want to win.
“Everything has to be within the rules, but the physical side in England is why it’s such a competitive league.”
Manchester City suffered a shock defeat to Crystal Palace on Monday as they went down 2-1 to the south London side, effectively ending their realistic title ambitions as they now sit nine points behind league leaders Chelsea having played a game more.
The Citizens were also leapfrogged by Arsenal and Manchester United over the weekend and will now want to consolidate a top four place at the very least.