(Martin Rickett/PA via AP).
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“The last meeting between Madrid and Barcelona was not easy for both us but we met each other two or three weeks ago with the Premier League managers and we spoke fluently with Ronald Koeman, with Tony Pulis so it was correct”.
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.
Pep Guardiola drew first blood in his renewed managerial duel with Jose Mourinho as Manchester City deservedly won an absorbing Premier League derby 2-1 against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic reduced the arrears before half-time by slamming home after City’s debutant goalkeeper Claudio Bravo spilled a high ball, but Iheanacho’s strike proved decisive.
Perez started ahead of Alexis Sanchez in the Gunners’ late 2-1 win over Southampton, but was anonymous as he struggled to fit in to his new team’s game plan in the first half.
“He had a little bit of a problem in his leg but he trained”, Guardiola said. Everything around the game: the derby, the big game, the focus, the attention.
As managers, the two have achieved a combined total of four Champions League titles (two each) and 14 domestic league trophies (Mourinho with 8 and Guardiola 6). Then his team set about delivering a footballing lesson to United in the first half. He was more assured than Perez and looked comfortable as he had more touches (94) and played more passes (86) than anyone else.
“Nico’s strong in the air, a character, but today was a lesson with the ball”. “But you can control the game”, he said.
“It will remain in the history books and in the supporters’ hearts for a long time, so I take it as a compliment”.
The Chilean allowed Rooney’s deep free-kick to slip from his grasp and Ibrahimovic produced an athletic volley to spear the loose ball into the net.
Bravo instigated another risky first-half attack by skimming a long throw between two United midfielders and to the feet of De Bruyne.
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“We didn’t start good”.
