Guardiola was generally pleased with the way his men played over that 45 minutes as they assumed a 2-0 lead through Kevin De Bruyne and Kelechi Iheanacho before Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s reply just prior to the break.
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United pressed for an equaliser that never arrived during the second half, with Bravo’s erratic showing giving them continued cause for encouragement, but Mourinho was left to reflect on three Premier League points lost before the interval.
“What was most important was that we started a very hard run of seven games in 20 matches with a win”, said Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino. We are playing well but we need more in the forward areas. “They are much stronger in the air, but I think we coped well and we just missed the third goal in the second half”.
“Until now in the Premier League, we have been okay but we are not ready to go against the best teams in Europe”.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic reduced the deficit just before half-time, but it failed to inspire a second-half turnaround as City maintained their ideal start to the new season and inflicted United’s first defeat under Jose Mourinho. When you work with them one month, two months, three months, four months, you see how they react in certain circumstances, you try to get a better feeling.
“Especially today, in the final moments though we just missed the last pass, and then in the second half United made the changes and it was hard for us”.
Mourinho mixed things up for the second half, throwing on Marcus Rashford, Ander Herrera and later Anthony Martial and taking a more direct approach in search of an equalizer, but City looked more unsafe on the counter-attack. But, except for one or two from Kevin (De Bruyne, who hit the post in the second half), we didn’t finish.
Guardiola was also quizzed on his strained relationship with United manager Mourinho, but the former Bayern Munich boss was quick to play down the rivalry.
Asked if he was disappointed by the first half or encouraged by the second, Mourinho said: “Both”.
“As soon as you lose the ball it is hard, and especially with players like [Marcus] Rashford and [Anthony] Martial on the counter-attack”. He beats me and I beat him in the future.
“I didn’t want to make three changes at half-time because I was afraid in long 45 minutes something happened”. He wants to win.
“It is simple. We are adults”.
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“But this is football, and sometimes players disappoint managers, and sometimes players give us great surprises”.
