'The derby is the most important game in the world'

Pep Guardiola's goal-scoring machine currently lie eight points ahead of their cross-city rivals, but the City captain believes the rivalry between the two Manchester neighbours is more important than Premier League points.

In an exclusive interview with 'Sky Sports', Kompany said: "I kind of press pause when it's a derby and the season doesn't matter to me anymore, it's all about the derby.

"Managers and players do like to downplay it, but I don't care, it's rubbish. The derby at that moment is the most important game in the world to me.

"It means more than anything else, and it will be everything I've got, everything the team have got and everything the fans have got to win that game.

"It doesn't matter which position we are in, whether we need a point, three points, I don't care, we need to make sure we leave that place with our heads high."

While Kompany understands most players would approach the occasion with a similar attitude to any other fixture, the 31-year-old said he simply can't control his emotion when it comes to derby day.

He added: "I think it's a natural thing to want to almost put expectations a bit lower, because it makes you feel like the pressure is perhaps easier to deal with, but in my case I am happy to deal with pressure.

"I enjoy it more than anyone else and I am happy to say that the derby is more important than any other game. I don't care what anyone says.

"But it's not something that happens in your mind and you're in control of. It's 110 per cent that your manager asks from you when you play against West Ham at the weekend, and he'll ask the same for the United game.

"But the problem is in those derbies you get to 120 per cent, and nobody can explain why, but that happens in a game and it is out of everyone's control."