Manchester United full-back Matteo Darmian has admitted that he has been impressed by what he has seen of his club's city rivals Manchester City so far throughout his first season in England.
The Italian joined the Red Devils from Torino for around £13m this summer and has been a regular so far at Old Trafford, featuring in all seven of Louis van Gaal's side's Premier League fixtures.
However, the 25-year-old has risked the wrath of his new supporters by revealing that the team that he has been most impressed with so far is the one on the other side of Manchester.
He is quoted by the Daily Express as saying: "[Manchester] City are the team that impressed me the most.
"We still have not faced them, but I followed several of their matches and they have enormous potential.
"English football has a superior pace compared to Italy. The game is played with higher intensity. You never have a moment to breathe. From a tactical point of view, everybody goes with a four-man defence and five men in the midfield."
United travel to the Emirates on Sunday to face another of their traditional rivals, Arsenal.