United fans ‘welcome to join party’

PEP GUARDIOLA has cheekily invited Manchester United fans to join in the celebrations if Manchester City win the Premier League title today and deny Liverpool a historic Quadruple.

Guardiola, who claimed the country wanted Liverpool to win the league, has been astonished to find out United supporters are actually rooting for City to beat Aston Villa at the Etihad in order to be champions.

City go into the final day a point ahead of Liverpool, who are at home to Wolves.

United don’t want their bitter rivals Liverpool to equal United’s record 20 league championships and go on to surpass Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1999 Treble — so supporting City is regarded as a lesser evil. ‘So United likes City more than Liverpool? Oh my God, I didn’t know it,’ admitted Guardiola.

‘Welcome to United fans if they want to join us in the streets... but they have to wear the blue shirts, they have to wear it. I was wrong when I said everybody in this country wants Liverpool to win.’

Amid a worrying trend in the game regarding pitch invasions, Guardiola said he was sure City fans would ‘behave themselves’ and did not have any plans to talk to his players over safety concerns.

A City win would see them win a fourth title in five seasons, the first time it has happened since United achieved it under Ferguson in 2011.

‘We are close to doing it. We have to try to take it,’ said Guardiola.

Today’s game will also be a farewell for club captain Fernandinho, who has won 11 major trophies at City since arriving from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013.

City fans plan to be at the Etihad early to welcome the team coach when it arrives 90 minutes before kick-off and supporters will gather to celebrate in the city centre in the evening should City win.

The club have promised its usual ‘robust’ security inside the stadium so there is no aggressive behaviour on the pitch afterwards that could impact on any trophy lift.