MANCHESTER CITY WON BECAUSE THEY WERE BETTER: GUARDIOLA
Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola hit back at Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho's penalty claims saying they won the derby clash 2-1 because they were the better side.
City moved 11 points clear before Christmas after the win at Old Trafford. They look strong favourites now to win the crown.
Mourinho claimed United should have been awarded a penalty when Ander Herrera was booked for diving after a challenge from Nicolas Otamendi.
"Last season was the same. We won because we were better. In all departments we were better," Guardiola was quoted as saying by ESPNFC at a news conference.
On the penalty decision, he added: "For me it is not a penalty first of all because the intention of Otamendi is not to bring him down.
"When a team has the courage to have 65-70-75 percent ball average possession, it is because it is an honest team. Because he wants to play and that is what we have done.
Besides ending United's home record of 40 games without defeat, City also equalled the English Premier League record for successive games -- taking it 14.
"We are so happy but in three days, with no recovery, we go to Swansea, and three days after, Tottenham Hotspur, so we will see what position we are in March and April but we are so happy to make 14 games in a row winning."
Earlier, Liverpool played to a 1-1 draw against Everton in the Merseyside derby in the English Premier League's 16th round. Liverpool went up 1-0 on a goal from Mohamed Salah in the 42nd minute of the contest at Anfield Stadium.
Everton managed to score the equalizer when Wayne Rooney converted a penalty in the 77th minute.
With this home draw, Liverpool is in fourth place in the Premier League, with 30 points, while Everton is in 10th place, with 19 points.
In the same round, Arsenal snatched one point with a late 1-1 away draw against Southampton to take fifth place, with 29 points.