De Jong upbeat for derby showdown

NIGEL DE JONG believes Manchester City can win at Old Trafford on Sunday to delay neighbours United’s bid for a third consecutive Premier League title.

The Dutchman, who will be featuring in his first Manchester derby, believes City could not be going into the match in better form after winning their last four matches.

City will have gained confidence from last season’s 2-1 win at Old Trafford, their first win at the home of their arch-rivals for 34 years.

Midfield man de Jong, signed from German Bundesliga side Hamburg in January, said: “Lightning can strike twice. I watched last season’s match on television and know what a huge impact it had on Manchester.

“For me, this is one of the biggest derbies in the world. I have been aware of it since I was a kid and, now I am part of it, I understand how special it is to the supporters and people of Manchester.

“We have been playing well, but will have to step up our game another notch. We both need to win the game for different reasons, and it should be a great contest.”

In terms of importance, Sunday’s derby is possibly the most keenly-awaited for some time with a massive amount at stake for both clubs.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will not want his team to be distracted by their midweek exploits in defeating Arsenal to reach the final of the Champions League.

The Reds need to pick up seven points from their last four league matches to clinch a third successive title, something which has never been achieved since the Premier League was formed in 1992.

Another championship for the Reds would also equal Liverpool’s record of 18.

United will be aware that the form book can go out of the window in derby games as City proved last season by completing a double.

For their part, City are chasing seventh spot and the final place in next season’s Europa League.

They have mounted a late charge by defeating West Brom, Everton and Blackburn and are in a battle with West Ham, Fulham and Spurs for the final European place.

After United, they have to play Tottenham away and Bolton at home and boss Mark Hughes admitted: “It’s a big game. We need to get something out of it. If we pick up points from our last three matches, we’ll go close.”

Hughes is confident City can cause another upset on Sunday. He said: “We are going there in good heart and with confidence high. You have to go to Old Trafford believing you can get something from the game.”

Hughes looked at United’s substitutes’ bench in midweek knowing there is every chance those players - including Ryan Giggs, Dimitar Berbatov, Paul Scholes and Carlos Tevez - will feature at Old Trafford.

He said: “I was looking to see who wasn’t playing as much as who was.

“You look at the bench and see great quality they can call on.

“Sir Alex seems to have the knack of being able to get the rotation correct.

“And performances don’t seem to suffer when he makes those changes in personnel because of the quality he has available to him.”