As old rivals Guardiola and Mourinho went head to head for the first time in English football, with each looking to preserve 100 per cent starts to the season, it was the former’s side who impressed, particularly in the first half.
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The teenage Nigeria worldwide rewarded his boss with a goal and an assist in City’s 2-1 win over Manchester United on Saturday.
After scoring on his debut under Louis van Gaal last season, followed by his gaining his first cap for England, the striker is set to be named in Mourinho’s line-up in the Europa League on Thursday.
“As soon as you lose the ball it is hard, and especially with players like [Marcus] Rashford and [Anthony] Martial on the counter-attack”.
Guardiola said after the match: “I don’t know if he respects me, but I respect him a lot”. He beats me and I beat him in the future.
Rashford scored eight goals in 18 appearances in all competitions in a stunning previous campaign for United.
“Look, honestly, I had two or three players in the first half who, if the game was played now and I know what is going to happen, then I wouldn’t play them”, Mourinho told the club’s official website.
“The kid gave us what we had needed and normally we would be here now speaking about a different result”.
With Sergio Aguero suspended, Guardiola said he had other options – but opted for Iheanacho to show his players what he wanted. First half we were better – in the second half it was hard.
Mourinho said: “I didn’t want to make two changes after 20 minutes and destroy them”. But this is football and sometimes players disappoint managers. “It was much more than Mkhi and Jesse”.
“And it is not to punish them it is just to decide in relation to what I have – and what do I have?”
Mourinho explained: “You never know the way players are going to react, especially when you don’t know them so well and, after only a couple of months, it is too early to know them really well”.
“We started the game badly”.
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“The feeling is that they want to work for me, they have the same level of ambition and commitment that I have and step by step, by a tactical and mental point of view, I have great feelings with the answers they are giving”.
