Kevin De Bruyne has stressed that Manchester City will not change their style of play in this weekend's derby against Manchester United and will look to attack Louis van Gaal's side at Old Trafford.

City sit top of the Premier League with 21 points from nine game heading into Sunday's encounter, holding a two-point lead over United, and De Bruyne is keen to widen the gap.

"We shouldn't play defensive because our main strength lies going forward, though we need to stay disciplined. We know it will be difficult," De Bruyne told the official Manchester City website.

"Manchester United have been a top team for a long time and the rivalry between us and them obviously runs deep, but the season is very long.

"That said, we know what it means to our supporters and it would be nice if we could go there and get three points. If you win it's nice for everyone and that’s what we’ll be trying to do.

"If you take a point or even lose, it's not ideal but there are still almost 30 games to go so this result won't be the deciding factor in who wins the title. There are still many points to be won and lost in the coming months."

City were beaten 4-2 on their last trip to their rivals in April.