Erik ten Hag has told his Manchester United players that the eyes of the world will be on them in Sunday’s Old Trafford derby.

United face Manchester City for the first time since losing the FA Cup final to their neighbours at Wembley in June, having shared the spoils in the Premier League last season. Ten Hag’s side lost to City 6-3 at the Etihad but came from behind to win 2-1 at Old Trafford.

The United boss acknowledged that this derby is bigger than most in world football as he prepared his players for the big occasion.

‘I think it’s a match that is so huge because it’s Manchester, it’s internal, but it’s also about world football. All the eyes will be on this game globally,’ said Ten Hag.

‘In this moment they’re six points ahead, we’re six points back, and we have to catch up. We know we have to progress the team, make developments. It has to do with the cooperation, the movement around it, we have to work on that.’

Erik ten Hag has called on his side to continue their improvement in the Manchester derby

Man United have won their last three matches but Ten Hag believes his side can be more consistent

United have won their last three games are a dreadful start to the season, but have yet to produce consistently good performances.

‘This is a hard team to beat. They find a way to win, we’re going in the right direction,’ added Ten Hag. ‘We have a way to go. I see positives and I see also negatives. We are not consistently in possession on the level we can be, where we show what we can be like Arsenal away or Bayern Munich in the first 20 minutes away.

‘Pressing, we are quite good, we have the most ball regains and the most middle regains in the whole Premier League.

‘Our defending organisation and pressing organisation, I said before the season how we wanted to play, but we don’t take benefit in our attack. We pay some attention to it and this has to grow, to progress, then games will become more easy.’