Jose Mourinho insists Manchester United should have been awarded two penalties in their 2-1 defeat by Manchester City.
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“The kid gave us what we had needed and normally we would be here now speaking about a different result”.
“Ander Herrera he came on for the second half and he was the one who allowed us to recover the ball fast, to press higher, to bring the team higher to recover the ball, to build a new wave of attack”.
But Guardiola praised Bravo’s continued willingness to take balls in to feet throughout the contest, using a post-match interview with Sky Sports to defend the player who has effectively ended the City career of crowd favourite and England number one Joe Hart.
The match, which marked the first encounter between Guardiola and Mourinho since 2013, also saw City end United’s ideal start to the PremierLeague this season.
Guardiola said after the match: “I don’t know if he respects me, but I respect him a lot”. Chelsea is the only team apart from City to have a 100 per cent winning start, and plays its fourth game at Swansea on Sunday.
The game slipped out of their hand in the first half an hour where Manchester United players looked unbelievable undercooked and ill-prepared, it might be the worldwide break, but that can not be the excuse.
Every time Bravo received the ball after his error for the goal, United’s fans jeered and heckled the goalkeeper, who showed his personality by continuing to play the ball out from the back – a key reason why he was signed by Guardiola. I want to beat them and they want to beat me. “I try to convince the players that it’s the best way to control the game, dominate and concede as few chances as possible”.
They were outplayed for the first half in Vigo as well, as Josep Sense and Theo Bongonda missed great chances. “Inside the box it has to be the same, but obviously even the best referees make mistakes”. By then, Zlatan Ibrahimovic had reduced the deficit against the run of play, volleying home after City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo – making his debut – dropped a free kick.
“What I told them at halftime was that for some of you, it looked like you are trying to do what I told you not to do”, Mourinho said.
“I am happy with my first week, with the work I have done”.
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“It was unlucky the situation, it sometimes happens, it’s football, but the reaction is more important for me”. Rashford thought he had provided just that twenty minutes from time, but the linesman spotted the smallest of deflections from the offside Ibrahimovic.
