Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott has revealed he will play a cautious game in Monday night’s derby showdown to make sure he doesn’t become Ashley Young’s next victim.
The Manchester United winger has come in for some criticism in recent weeks after he won penalties in spectacular fashion against Aston Villa and QPR – incidents that have seen him labelled as a diver.
City host United on Monday evening, hoping to secure a vital victory that will send them to the summit of the Premier League on goal difference. But Lescott believes the former Villa wide man will be effectively untouchable during the encounter.
Lescott told the Sunday Mirror: “You have to adapt to every striker you come up against – and Ashley [Young] is no different.
“A lot has been made of what has happened with Ashley in United’s last few games, but if you don’t make contact with him then he can’t go down. I don’t think he will go down without contact. He is feeling the defender and making the most of it.
“I’d like to think we would get the same decision if it happened to one of our players. In every team, players are taught to win penalties as long as they stay within the rules of the game. We’re no different.”