Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal says his players are ready for what could be a season-defining Manchester derby on Sunday afternoon.
Defeat away at Crystal Palace saw Manuel Pellegrini's men drop to fourth in the table and the Dutchman is determined to take all three points against their rivals to open a four-point lead from the Citizens.
"I dream of it [beating Manchester City]," van Gaal said.
"That is not a problem, every player shall dream of victory.
"I have been thinking with my staff and my players already for many days about how we have to beat Manchester City. You are always [thinking] in that process of how to beat your next opponent.
"You want to win because it is a big step in the table. When you win, third place is reachable and months ago nobody was thinking we could do it - besides me, of course!
"Third position in the table is also good because you have certainly qualified for the Champions League and we would do better than the goal we set in pre-season.
"When you are walking the streets of Manchester everybody is talking about the derby and also the players – the English players and also the Spanish players.
"They understand the meaning of a Manchester United victory over Manchester City. They know and I know it, so it's very important."
