Pep Guardiola delivered the first meaningful blow in a rivalry with Jose Mourinho that will become a central part of the Premier League’s narrative as Manchester City recorded a well-merited win against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Advertisement
Guardiola drew first blood in his renewed managerial duel with Jose Mourinho as City edged Manchester United 2-1 yesterday at Old Trafford. “Some of the guys, they felt it”.
“So it’s about the individual and every individual reacts to the dimension of the occasion in different ways”.
“[In] a game of this speed you need to be sharp the way you think, the way you play”. If we lose the ball, it’s a goal against us.
Victory over United sent City three points clear at the top of the English Premier League, and ended Jose Mourinho’s ideal start to the season as United manager.
“In the first half we were punished like we deserved, but in the second half we didn’t get the compensation we deserved”.
“It only gets easier when you know the players very, very well”.
“He wants to win, I want to win”.
“His personality showed me a lot today”, Guardiola said. I would have done it after 20 minutes.
“He was alarmed that two players [Mkhitaryan and Lingard] could play so poorly in the first half”.
Mourinho was critical of Eric Bailly and Daley Blind and said that he had frank words with his team at half-time.
“What Claudio did was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen”, he told reporters.
At a point, Claudio Bravo escaped censure for a controversial tackle on Wayne Rooney when he was caught in possession, before a Wayne Rooney cross hit Nicolas Otamendi on the elbow.
“It was hard, especially in the second half, because they were much stronger physically and in the air but I think we coped well and we had the chances to get the third in the second half”.
“First half we were better – in the second half it was hard”.
As a result, he was replaced at half time in the game.
His side was undone not just by the disappointing performances of its players but by some decisions that went against the home team during the game, according to Mourinho. We were unlucky. The situation is unlucky.
“I know it’s a risk”.
Advertisement
“The problem was we needed to be more aggressive to win the first and second balls but we didn’t”.
