Michael Carrick laughs off Elliot Anderson Kings of Manchester claim before derby | OneFootball

Michael Carrick has brushed aside Elliot Anderson’s claim that City are the Kings of Manchester ahead of Sunday’s derby, saying: “I’m definitely not using that phrase, at all, no.”

According to Goal.com, Anderson joined Manchester City in a £116 million summer move from Nottingham Forest and declared the Sky Blues the absolute rulers of Manchester, a message the club’s website amplified by capitalising the word king.

City head coach Enzo Maresca defended the midfielder, arguing the view reflects growing up over the last 15 years when City were dominant.

United have not finished above their rivals in the Premier League since 2012-13. In that span City have won seven league titles and a Champions League, while United’s haul is more modest, though they have seven wins and three draws in the last 20 league meetings.

Carrick acknowledged City’s recent superiority, saying United are humble and realistic about their history. He noted his permanent tenure includes a 2-0 win over Guardiola’s City, but stressed the aim is sustained progress after returning to the Champions League.

United trail Maresca’s side by five points, turning this derby into a chance to land a timely blow and show they can compete for the top prize.

Carrick praised City’s professional midweek win over Porto and said United must produce a strong display to get a result. He added that confidence has been building and, despite a short turnaround, his players are looking forward to the test.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”